Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods; Small Entity Compliance Guide; Availability, 63686-63687 [2022-22706]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 202 (Thursday, October 20, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 63686-63687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-22706]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

21 CFR Part 1

[Docket No. FDA-2022-D-1126]


Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods; Small Entity 
Compliance Guide; Availability

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notification of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the Agency, or we) is 
announcing the availability of a guidance for industry entitled 
``Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods: What You Need to Know 
About the FDA Regulation: Guidance for Industry--Small Entity 
Compliance Guide.'' The small entity compliance guide (SECG) is 
intended to help small entities comply with the final rule entitled 
``Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods.''

DATES: The announcement of the guidance is published in the Federal 
Register on October 20, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit either electronic or written comments on 
Agency guidances at any time as follows:

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted 
electronically, including attachments, to https://www.regulations.gov 
will be posted to the docket unchanged. Because your comment will be 
made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your comment 
does not include any confidential information that you or a third party 
may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone 
else's Social Security number, or confidential business information, 
such as a manufacturing process. Please note that if you include your 
name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in 
the body of your comments, that information will be posted on https://www.regulations.gov.
     If you want to submit a comment with confidential 
information that you do not wish to be made available to the public, 
submit the comment as a written/paper submission and in the manner 
detailed (see ``Written/Paper Submissions'' and ``Instructions'').

Written/Paper Submissions

    Submit written/paper submissions as follows:
     Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier (for written/paper 
submissions): Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
     For written/paper comments submitted to the Dockets 
Management Staff, FDA will post your comment, as well as any 
attachments, except for information submitted, marked and identified, 
as confidential, if submitted as detailed in ``Instructions.''
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket No. 
FDA-2022-D-1126 for ``Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods: 
What You Need to Know About the FDA Regulation: Guidance for Industry--
Small Entity Compliance Guide.'' Received comments will be placed in 
the docket and, except for those submitted as ``Confidential 
Submissions,'' publicly viewable at https://www.regulations.gov or at 
the Dockets Management Staff between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, 240-402-7500.
     Confidential Submissions--To submit a comment with 
confidential information that you do not wish to be made publicly 
available, submit your comments only as a written/paper submission. You 
should submit two copies total. One copy will include the information 
you claim to be confidential with a heading or cover note that states 
``THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.'' The Agency will 
review this copy, including the claimed confidential information, in 
its consideration of comments. The second copy, which will have the 
claimed confidential information redacted/blacked out, will be 
available for public viewing and posted on https://www.regulations.gov. 
Submit both copies to the Dockets Management Staff. If you do not wish 
your name and contact information to be made publicly available, you 
can provide this information on the cover sheet and not in the body of 
your comments and you must identify this information as

[[Page 63687]]

``confidential.'' Any information marked as ``confidential'' will not 
be disclosed except in accordance with 21 CFR 10.20 and other 
applicable disclosure law. For more information about FDA's posting of 
comments to public dockets, see 80 FR 56469, September 18, 2015, or 
access the information at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2015-09-18/pdf/2015-23389.pdf.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov 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 Dockets Management Staff, 5630 Fishers Lane, 
Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852, 240-402-7500.
    You may submit comments on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 
10.115(g)(5)).
    Submit written requests for single copies of the SECG to the Office 
of Strategic Planning and Operational Policy, Office of Regulatory 
Affairs, Food and Drug Administration, 12420 Parklawn Dr., Element 
Building, Rockville, MD 20857. Send two self-addressed adhesive labels 
to assist that office in processing your request. See the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section for electronic access to the SECG.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stacie Hammack, Food and Feed 
Laboratory Operations, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Food and Drug 
Administration, 60 8th Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, 301-796-5817.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In the Federal Register of December 3, 2021 (86 FR 68728), we 
issued a final rule establishing a program for the testing of food in 
certain circumstances by accredited laboratories, as required under the 
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the final rule). Establishing 
this program will help FDA improve the safety of the U.S. food supply 
and protect U.S. consumers by helping to ensure that certain food 
testing of importance to public health is conducted subject to 
appropriate oversight and in accordance with appropriate model 
standards to produce reliable and valid test results. The final rule, 
which is codified at 21 CFR part 1, subpart R (21 CFR 1.1101 through 
1.1201), became effective February 1, 2022.
    We examined the economic implications of the final rule as required 
by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612) and determined 
that the final rule will have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. In compliance with section 212 of 
the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (Pub. L. 104-
121, as amended by Pub. L. 110-28), we are making available the SECG to 
explain the actions that a small entity must take to comply with the 
rule.
    We are issuing the SECG consistent with our good guidance practices 
regulation (21 CFR 10.115(c)(2)). The SECG represents the current 
thinking of FDA on this topic. It does not establish any rights for any 
person and is not binding on FDA or the public. You can use an 
alternative approach if it satisfies the requirements of the applicable 
statutes and regulations.

II. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    While this guidance contains no collection of information, it does 
refer to previously approved FDA collections of information. Therefore, 
clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521) is not 
required for this guidance. The previously approved collections of 
information are subject to review by OMB under the PRA. The collections 
of information in 21 CFR part 1, subpart R have been approved under OMB 
control number 0910-0898.

III. Electronic Access

    Persons with access to the internet may obtain the SECG at https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-rules-guidance-industry, https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents, or https://www.regulations.gov. Use the FDA 
website listed in the previous sentence to find the most current 
version of the guidance.

    Dated: October 14, 2022.
Lauren K. Roth,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2022-22706 Filed 10-19-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P