[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 171 (Thursday, September 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47031-47032]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23752]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration
[Docket No. 98N-0698]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Survey of Consumer Attitudes Toward Potential Changes 
in Food Standards of Identity

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an 
opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain 
information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the 
Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, 
and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This 
notice solicits comments on a voluntary survey of consumer attitudes 
toward potential changes in food standards of identity.

DATES: Submit written comments on the collection of information by 
November 2, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information to 
the Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 
5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. All comments should 
be identified with the docket number found in brackets in the heading 
of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margaret R. Schlosburg, Office of 
Information Resources Management (HFA-250), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-827-1223.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal 
agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget

[[Page 47032]]

(OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. 
``Collection of information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 
1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of 
the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a 
third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) 
requires Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal 
Register concerning each proposed collection of information, before 
submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this 
requirement, FDA is publishing notice of the proposed collection of 
information listed below.
    With respect to the following collection of information, FDA 
invites comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of FDA's functions, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy 
of FDA's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques, when appropriate, and other forms of 
information technology.

Survey of Consumer Attitudes Toward Potential Changes in Food 
Standards of Identity

    Under section 903(b)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 
(21 U.S.C. 393(b)(2)), FDA is authorized to conduct research relating 
to foods and to conduct educational and public information programs 
relating to the safety of the nation's food supply. FDA is planning to 
conduct a telephone-mail-telephone consumer survey about consumer 
attitudes towards potential changes in food standards of identity under 
this authority. A nationally representative sample of 600 adults, who 
regularly do the food shopping for their households, will be selected 
at random and asked if they would agree to complete a mail survey. 
Participation will be voluntary. Detailed information will be obtained 
about how consumers would be affected by changes to standards, and what 
their preferences are for retaining, revising, or eliminating 
standards. FDA is reviewing standard of identity regulations for foods 
in order to determine which elements of those regulations are most 
important to fulfilling the goals of those regulations. The information 
to be collected will address consumer attitudes toward potential 
changes in the standards of identity for particular products. The 
products will be chosen to represent general categories of products 
that share theoretically relevant characteristics. The changes will be 
chosen to represent general types of changes that might be made to 
standards of identity. Therefore, the information collected on 
particular changes in the standards of identity for particular products 
should provide information that can be generalized to other changes and 
other products. The information collected will be used to shape FDA's 
policy on revising standards of identity.
    FDA estimates the burden of this collection of information as 
follows:

                                  Table 1.--Estimated Annual Reporting Burden1                                  
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                                                      Annual                                                    
                                      No. of       Frequency per   Total Annual      Hours per      Total Hours 
                                    Respondents      Response        Responses       Response                   
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Receive initial recruiting                                                                                      
 telephone call                       600               1             600               0.8            48       
Read instructions and complete                                                                                  
 mail survey                          600               1             600               0.59          354       
Complete followup telephone                                                                                     
 interview                            600               1             600               0.08           48       
Total                                                                                                 450       
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\1\ There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of            
  information.                                                                                                  

    The burden hours are based on two rounds of focus groups conducted 
to test the instrument. The length of the initial and followup 
interviews based on similar studies are based on similar studies that 
have been conducted.

    Dated: August 26, 1998.
William K. Hubbard,
Associate Commissioner for Policy Coordination.
[FR Doc. 98-23752 Filed 9-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-F