[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 77 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 19852]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10601]


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 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 77 / Wednesday, April 22, 1998 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 19852]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 317 and 381

[Docket No. 98-014N]


Nutrition Labeling; Health Claims on Meat and Poultry Products

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of withdrawal of proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is withdrawing 
its proposed rule, ``Nutrition Labeling; Health Claims on Meat and 
Poultry Products,'' published in the Federal Register on May 25, 1994 
(59 FR 27144). The rule proposed to amend the Federal meat and poultry 
products inspection regulations by proposing requirements for 
permitting the use of health claims on the labeling of meat and poultry 
products that characterize the relationship of a substance (food or 
food component) to a disease or health-related condition. The rule also 
proposed regulations establishing a labeling application process for 
such health claims. FSIS' proposal (Docket No. 93-002P) has become 
obsolete because of changes made by the Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA) in its original final rule and in its subsequent rulemaking on 
health claims. Therefore, FSIS intends to propose a more comprehensive 
document on health claims regulations for meat and poultry products 
that will parallel those regulations issued by FDA for other foods.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: FSIS Docket Clerk, Docket No. 98-014N, 
Room 102, Cotton Annex Building, 300 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 
20250-3700. Any comments received will be available for public 
inspection in the Docket Room from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. William Hudnall, Assistant Deputy 
Administrator, Office of Policy, Program Development, and Evaluation, 
at (202) 205-0495; FAX (202) 401-1760.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Agency's final rule on health claims on 
meat and poultry products would have authorized health claims related 
to the characterization of the relationship of a substance to a disease 
or health-related condition on product labeling. FSIS' proposed rule 
paralleled FDA's original final rule on health claims that was issued 
on January 6, 1993 (58 FR 2478). However, three subsequent rulemakings 
by FDA on additional health claims for substances such as oat bran and 
psyllium have made FSIS' proposed rule and its pending final rule 
obsolete. Under provisions of recent legislation establishing new 
procedures for health claims, FDA is expected to continue authorizing 
health claims for additional substances on an incremental basis.
    With this notice, FSIS is officially withdrawing its proposed rule 
(Docket No. 93-002P) of May 25, 1994, and will later publish a new 
proposed rule to authorize health claims for meat and poultry products 
that is parallel to the extent possible with FDA's. FSIS also is 
prepared to consider future rulemaking on health claims for additional 
substances when it becomes necessary to do so.
    If needed, FSIS will publish another notice addressing any comments 
received on this notice.

    Done at Washington, DC, on April 15, 1998.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-10601 Filed 4-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P