80 FR 50263 - Availability of Updated FSIS Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 160 (August 19, 2015)

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing the Agency's intent to revise the Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book. The Agency has stopped adding policy guidance to it; however, FSIS will continue to amend or remove items in the book, as necessary, to remain consistent with Agency policies and regulations. The revised Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book will provide updated information for establishments to use when creating new labels and when modifying existing labels for meat and poultry products.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 160 (Wednesday, August 19, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50263-50264]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20435]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2015-0033]


Availability of Updated FSIS Food Standards and Labeling Policy 
Book

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and opportunity for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing 
the Agency's intent to revise the Food Standards and Labeling Policy 
Book. The Agency has stopped adding policy guidance to it; however, 
FSIS will continue to amend or remove items in the book, as necessary, 
to remain consistent with Agency policies and regulations. The revised 
Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book will provide updated 
information for establishments to use when creating new labels and when 
modifying existing labels for meat and poultry products.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 19, 2015.

ADDRESSES: A downloadable version of the Food Standards and Labeling 
Policy Book is available for viewing and printing at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulatory-compliance/labeling/Labeling-Policies. No hard copies have been published.
    FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this notice. 
Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to 
type short comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or 
attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov/
. Follow the on-line instructions at that site for submitting comments.
    Mail, including CD-ROMs: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Patriots Plaza 3, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Mailstop 3782, Room 8-163B, Washington, DC 
20250-3700.
    Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to Patriots Plaza 3, 
355 E Street SW., Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2015-0033. Comments 
received in response to this docket will be made available for public 
inspection and posted without change, including any personal 
information, to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to background documents or to comments received, 
go to the FSIS Docket Room at Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Room 
164-A, Washington, DC 20250-3700 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel L. Engeljohn, Ph.D., Assistant 
Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development; Telephone: 
(202) 205-0495, or by Fax: (202) 720-2025.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    FSIS is responsible for ensuring that the Nation's commercial 
supply of meat and poultry is safe, wholesome, and properly labeled and 
packaged.
    On November 7, 2013, FSIS published the final rule ``Prior Label 
Approval Systems: Generic Label Approval.'' This final rule amended the 
meat and poultry products inspection regulations to expand the 
circumstances under which labels of meat and poultry products would be 
deemed to be generically approved by the Agency (78 FR 66826).
    Effective January 6, 2014, FSIS regulations (9 CFR 412.1(c)) 
require only four categories of labels to be submitted to the Labeling 
and Program Delivery Staff (LPDS) for approval. One category requiring 
the submission of labels is special statements and claims (9 CFR 
412.1(c)(3)), as described in 9 CFR 412.1(e). Under this paragraph, 
special statements and claims that are defined in FSIS's regulations or 
in its Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book, except for ``natural'' 
and negative claims, and that comply with those regulations and 
policies, are deemed to be approved by the Agency without being 
submitted for evaluation and approval.
    Comments that FSIS had received in response to the December 5, 
2011, proposal (76 FR 75809) that preceded the final rule asked the 
Agency to update its Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book. In 
response to these comments, FSIS decided to stop adding new policy 
guidance to the book but to continue to amend or remove items in the 
book, as necessary.
    FSIS has revised the ``Chicken Cordon Bleu'' entry in response to a 
petition submitted to the Agency and removed the entry for ``Ham, 
Smithfield'' to ensure consistency with the regulations on the use of 
geographic terminology on labeling (9 CFR 317.8(b)(1). FSIS announced 
these changes in its Constituent Update.\1\ This calendar year

[[Page 50264]]

FSIS will revise the ``Caddies'' entry in the Food Standards and 
Labeling Policy Book in response to a petition submitted to the Agency 
to reflect current industry practice. Also, this calendar year, FSIS 
will update the entry for ``Heart Meat'' to reflect the regulatory 
definition for meat in 9 CFR 301.2 and will modify the entry for 
``Quality Grade Terms and Subjective Terms on Labels'' to make it 
consistent with the Agricultural Marketing Service policy on such 
terms. FSIS will announce these changes and all other future revisions 
of the book in the FSIS Constituent Update, which is accessible on the 
Agency's Web site at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/meetings/newsletters/constituent-updates/constituent-updates-2015. The Agency will convey new labeling guidance by other means, such 
as compliance policy guides and will announce them through the 
Constituent Update or other appropriate means.
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    \1\ See http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/meetings/newsletters/constituent-updates/archive/2015/ConstUpdate040315; http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/meetings/newsletters/constituent-updates/archive/2015/ConstUpdate050115.
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USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

    No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds 
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, 
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, 
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to 
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or 
activity conducted by the USDA.
    To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program 
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your 
authorized representative.
    Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, 
or email:

Mail

    U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410.

Fax

    (202) 690-7442.

Email

    [email protected].
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication on-line through the FSIS Web page located at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
    FSIS also will make copies of this publication available through 
the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information 
regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register 
notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information that 
could affect or would be of interest to our constituents and 
stakeholders. The Update is available on the FSIS Web page. Through the 
Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more 
diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email subscription 
service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food 
safety news and information. This service is available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from recalls to export 
information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or 
delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password-
protect their accounts.

    Done at Washington, DC on: August 12, 2015.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-20435 Filed 8-18-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P