[Federal Register: November 30, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 230)]
[Notices]
[Page 67735]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30no07-58]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
[Docket No. 2007N-0277]
Food Labeling: Use of Symbols to Communicate Nutrition
Information, Consideration of Consumer Studies and Nutritional
Criteria; Reopening of Comment Period
AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Notice of public hearing; reopening of comment period.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reopening to January
15, 2008, the comment period for the notice of public hearing that
published in the Federal Register of July 20, 2007. In the notice of
public hearing, FDA requested comments on the use of symbols to
communicate nutrition information on food labels. The agency is taking
this action in response to a request for an extension to allow
interested persons additional time to submit comments.
DATES: Submit written or electronic comments by January 15, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. 2007N-
0277, by any of the following methods:
Electronic Submissions
Submit electronic comments in the following ways:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Agency Web site: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the agency Web site.
Written Submissions
Submit written submissions in the following ways:
FAX: 301-827-6870.
Mail/Hand delivery/Courier [For paper, disk, or CD-ROM
submissions]: Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
To ensure more timely processing of comments, FDA is no longer
accepting comments submitted to the agency by e-mail. FDA encourages
you to continue to submit electronic comments by using the Federal
eRulemaking Portal or the agency Web site, as described previously in
the ADDRESSES portion of this document under Electronic Submissions .
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and docket number for this rulemaking. All comments received may be
posted without change to http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/default.htm,
including any personal information provided. For additional information
on submitting comments, see the ``Request for Comments'' heading of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/default.htm
and insert the docket number, found in brackets in the heading of this
document, into the ``Search'' box and follow the prompts and/or go to
the Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061,
Rockville, MD 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Juanita Yates, Center for Food Safety
and Applied Nutrition (HFS-555), Food and Drug Administration, 5100
Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD 20740, 301-436-1731.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
In the Federal Register of July 20, 2007 (72 FR 39815), FDA
published a notice of public hearing with a 115-day comment period to
request comments on the use of symbols to communicate nutrition
information on food labels, specifically, the issues and questions
presented in section III of the notice (see 72 FR 39815 at 39816).
Comments will inform FDA's consideration of the use of symbols to
communicate nutrition information on food labels.
The agency has received a request for a 60-day extension of the
comment period for the notice of public hearing. The request conveyed
concern that the comment period, which closed 60 days subsequent to the
public hearing held September 10 and 11, 2007, did not allow sufficient
time to develop a meaningful or thoughtful response to the request for
comments on the issues and questions presented in section III of the
notice.
FDA has considered the request and is reopening the comment period
for the notice of public hearing, which closed November 12, 2007, for
60 days, until January 15, 2008. The agency believes that reopening the
comment period for 60 days allows adequate time for interested persons
to submit comments on the issues and questions presented in section III
of the notice without significantly delaying the agency's consideration
of the use of symbols to communicate nutrition information on food
labels.
II. Request for Comments
Interested persons may submit to the Division of Dockets Management
(see ADDRESSES) written or electronic comments regarding this document.
Submit a single copy of electronic comments or two paper copies of any
mailed comments, except that individuals may submit one paper copy.
Comments are to be identified with the docket number found in brackets
in the heading of this document. Received comments may be seen in the
Division of Dockets Management between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday.
Please note that in January 2008, the FDA Web site is expected to
transition to the Federal Dockets Management System (FDMS). FDMS is a
Government-wide, electronic docket management system. After the
transition date, electronic submissions will be accepted by FDA through
the FDMS only. When the exact date of the transition to FDMS is known,
FDA will publish a Federal Register notice announcing that date.
Dated: November 26, 2007.
Jeffrey Shuren,
Assistant Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. E7-23211 Filed 11-29-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-S