Food Labeling: Use of Symbols to Communicate Nutrition Information, Consideration of Consumer Studies and Nutritional Criteria; Reopening of Comment Period, 67735 [E7-23211]

Agencies

• Food and Drug Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 230 (Friday, November 30, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 67735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-23211]


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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.

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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: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Agency Web site: https://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 https://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 https://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