Salt and Sodium; Petition to Revise the Regulatory Status of Salt and Establish Food Labeling Requirements Regarding Salt and Sodium; Public Hearing; Reopening of the Comment Period, 33027 [E8-13122]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 113 (Wednesday, June 11, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 33027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-13122]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

21 CFR Part 15

[Docket Nos. FDA-2005-P-0196 and FDA-2007-0545] (formerly Docket No. 
2005P-0450)


Salt and Sodium; Petition to Revise the Regulatory Status of Salt 
andEstablish Food Labeling Requirements Regarding Salt and Sodium; 
Public Hearing; Reopening of the Comment Period

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing; reopening of the comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reopening until 
August 11, 2008, the comment period for the notice of public hearing, 
published in the Federal Register of October 23, 2007 (72 FR 59973), 
requesting comments regarding FDA's current framework of policies 
regarding salt and sodium and potential future approaches, including 
approaches described in a citizen petition. The agency is taking this 
action in response to a request for an extension to allow interested 
persons additional time to submit comments. FDA is also reopening the 
comment period to update comments and to receive any new information.

DATES: Submit written or electronic comments by August 11, 2008. The 
administrative record of the hearing will remain open until August 11, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket Nos. FDA-2005-
P-0196 and FDA-2007-0545 (formerly Docket No. 2005P-0450), by any of 
the following methods:
Electronic Submissions
    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
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, as described previously, in the ADDRESSES portion 
of this document under Electronic Submissions.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket No(s). for this rulemaking. All comments received may be 
posted without change to  https://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided. For additional information on submitting 
comments, see the ``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.regulations.gov and insert the 
docket number(s), 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, FAX: 301-436-
2964.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In the Federal Register of October 23, 2007 (72 FR 59973), FDA 
published a notice of public hearing requesting comments on FDA's 
current regulatory framework of policies regarding salt and sodium and 
future approaches, including approaches described in a citizen petition 
submitted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. 
Specifically, FDA sought comments on the issues and questions presented 
in section III of the notice. (See 72 FR 59973 at 59976.)
    Interested persons were originally given until March 28, 2008, to 
comment on issues related to salt and sodium.

II. Request for Comments

    Following publication of the October 30, 2007, notice of public 
hearing, FDA received a request for a 60-day extension of the comment 
period. The request conveyed concern that the FDA Division of Dockets 
Management Web site transition to the Federal Docket Management System 
(FDMS) on January 15, 2008, delayed the public presentation of relevant 
material in the docket and thus 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, for 60 days, until August 11, 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 issues related to 
salt and sodium.

III. How to Submit 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 to https://
www.regulations.gov 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 on January 15, 2008, the FDA Division of Dockets 
Management Web site transitioned to the Federal Dockets Management 
System (FDMS). FDMS is a Government-wide, electronic docket management 
system. Electronic comments or submissions will be accepted by FDA only 
through FDMS at https://www.regulations.gov.

    Dated: June 3, 2008.
Jeffrey Shuren,
Associate Commissioner for Policy and Planning.
[FR Doc. E8-13122 Filed 6-10-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-S