Use of Sorbitol in Cooked Roast Beef Products

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 318

[Docket No. 95-052W]

RIN 0583-AC02

Use of Sorbitol in Cooked Roast Beef Products

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Withdrawal of direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is withdrawing

the direct final rule that would have added cooked roast beef products

to the list of products in which sorbitol is permitted. The sorbitol

would have been added to a solution of ingredients that are pumped into

the beef prior to cooking.

FSIS is withdrawing the direct final rule because it received an

adverse written comment in response to the direct final rule. FSIS will

instead publish at a later date a proposed rule. The proposal will

establish a comment period.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 16, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles R. Edwards, Director, Product

Assessment Division, Regulatory Programs, Food Safety and Inspection

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250-3700;

(202) 254-2565.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a direct final rule published in the

Federal Register on February 27, 1996 (61 FR 7207), FSIS notified the

public of its intent to add cooked roast beef products to the list of

products in which sorbitol is permitted. FSIS would have allowed the

use of sorbitol both as a sweetener and to reduce charring in cooked

roast beef products up to a level of 2 percent of the product

formulation.

FSIS solicited comments concerning the direct final rule for a 30-

day period ending March 28, 1996. FSIS stated that the effective date

of the proposed amendment would be 60 days after publication of the

direct final rule in the Federal Register, unless the Agency received

written adverse comments or a notice of intent to submit adverse

comments by the close of the comment period. FSIS also stated that if

it received written adverse comments or a notice of intent to submit

adverse comments, it would publish a document in the Federal Register

withdrawing the direct final rule before the scheduled effective date

and would publish a proposed rule for public comment.

FSIS received one written adverse comment from a consumer.

Therefore, FSIS is withdrawing the direct final rule, and at a later

date, will publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register.

Done at Washington, DC, on: April 9, 1996.

Michael R. Taylor,

Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety.

[FR Doc. 96-9267 Filed 4-15-96; 8:45 am]

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