[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 16, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 16617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9267]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 318

[Docket No. 95-052W]
RIN 0583-AC02


Use of Sorbitol in Cooked Roast Beef Products

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Withdrawal of direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is withdrawing 
the direct final rule that would have added cooked roast beef products 
to the list of products in which sorbitol is permitted. The sorbitol 
would have been added to a solution of ingredients that are pumped into 
the beef prior to cooking.
    FSIS is withdrawing the direct final rule because it received an 
adverse written comment in response to the direct final rule. FSIS will 
instead publish at a later date a proposed rule. The proposal will 
establish a comment period.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 16, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles R. Edwards, Director, Product 
Assessment Division, Regulatory Programs, Food Safety and Inspection 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250-3700; 
(202) 254-2565.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a direct final rule published in the 
Federal Register on February 27, 1996 (61 FR 7207), FSIS notified the 
public of its intent to add cooked roast beef products to the list of 
products in which sorbitol is permitted. FSIS would have allowed the 
use of sorbitol both as a sweetener and to reduce charring in cooked 
roast beef products up to a level of 2 percent of the product 
formulation.
    FSIS solicited comments concerning the direct final rule for a 30-
day period ending March 28, 1996. FSIS stated that the effective date 
of the proposed amendment would be 60 days after publication of the 
direct final rule in the Federal Register, unless the Agency received 
written adverse comments or a notice of intent to submit adverse 
comments by the close of the comment period. FSIS also stated that if 
it received written adverse comments or a notice of intent to submit 
adverse comments, it would publish a document in the Federal Register 
withdrawing the direct final rule before the scheduled effective date 
and would publish a proposed rule for public comment.
    FSIS received one written adverse comment from a consumer. 
Therefore, FSIS is withdrawing the direct final rule, and at a later 
date, will publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register.

    Done at Washington, DC, on: April 9, 1996.
Michael R. Taylor,
Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety.
[FR Doc. 96-9267 Filed 4-15-96; 8:45 am]
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