[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 142 (Tuesday, July 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43228-43229]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18069]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 142 / Tuesday, July 24, 2012 / 
Notices  

[[Page 43228]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Generic Clearance for the Development of Nutrition 
Education Messages and Products for the General Public

AGENCY: Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on a proposed information collection. This is an extension of a 
currently approved collection. Burden hours have not changed. This 
notice announces the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion's (CNPP) 
intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's approval of 
the information collection processes and instruments to be used during 
consumer research while testing nutrition education messages and 
products developed for the general public. The purpose for performing 
consumer research is to identify consumers' understanding of potential 
nutrition education messages and obtain their reaction to prototypes of 
nutrition education products, including Internet-based tools. The 
information collected will be used to refine messages and improve the 
usefulness of products as well as aid consumer understanding of current 
Dietary Guidelines for Americans and related materials (OMB No.: 0584-
0523, Expiration Date 12/31/2012).

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be submitted on or before 
September 24, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on (a) Whether the proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions 
of the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    Comments may be sent to Colette Rihane, Director, Nutrition 
Guidance and Analysis Division, Center for Nutrition Policy and 
Promotion, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 
1034, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to 
the attention of Colette Rihane at 703-305-3300 or via email to 
[email protected]. Comments will also be accepted through 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov and 
follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.
    All written comments will be open for public inspection during 
regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday) 
at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion's main office located 
at 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1034, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
also become a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Colette Rihane at 703-305-7600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Generic Clearance for the Development 
of Nutrition Education Messages and Products for the General Public.
    OMB Number: 0582-0523.
    Expiration Date: December 31, 2012.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) of 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducts consumer research to 
identify key issues of concern related to the understanding and use of 
the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as the effort and tools 
used to help implement the Dietary Guidelines. Some implementation 
efforts were previously known as the MyPyramid Food Guidance System 
(OMB 0584-0535 exp. July 31, 2012). The Dietary Guidelines, a primary 
source of dietary health information, are issued jointly by the 
Secretaries of USDA and Health and Human Services (HHS) every five 
years (the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 
1990 [7 U.S.C. 5341]). The Dietary Guidelines serve as the cornerstone 
of Federal nutrition policy and form the basis for nutrition education 
efforts (nutrition messaging and development of consumer materials) of 
these agencies. The intent of the Dietary Guidelines is to provide 
advice for Americans ages two years and over about food choices that 
help to promote health and prevent disease. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines 
for Americans includes USDA Food Pattern recommendations about what and 
how much to eat. To communicate the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for 
Americans, USDA established a comprehensive communications initiative 
which includes the MyPlate icon; a Web site designed for professionals 
and consumers, ChooseMyPlate.gov; and a variety of professional and 
consumer resources. The MyPlate icon emphasizes the five food groups to 
remind Americans to eat more healthfully. The ChooseMyPlate.gov Web 
site includes resources for both consumers and professionals to promote 
federal dietary policy and the USDA Food Pattern recommendations to the 
public. This effort is critical to CNPP's mission, and it fulfills 
requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (31 
U.S.C. 9701). Information collected from consumer research will be used 
to further develop the Dietary Guidelines and related communications. 
These may include: (1) Messages and products that help general 
consumers make healthier food and physical activity choices; (2) 
Additions and enhancements to ChooseMyPlate.gov; and (3) Resources for 
special population groups that might be identified. USDA will be 
assisting HHS in the upcoming Dietary Guidelines revision cycle for 
producing the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. With the potential 
for revised or new recommendations, the possibility for developing new

[[Page 43229]]

messages, materials and tools also exists.
    CNPP works to improve the health and well-being of Americans by 
developing and promoting dietary guidance that links scientific 
research to the nutrition needs of consumers. CNPP has among its major 
functions the development and coordination of nutrition policy within 
USDA and is involved in the investigation of techniques for effective 
nutrition communication. Under Subtitle D of the National Agriculture 
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3171-
3175), the Secretary of Agriculture is required to develop and 
implement a national food and human nutrition research and extension 
program, including the development of techniques to assist consumers in 
selecting food that supplies a nutritionally adequate diet. Pursuant to 
7 CFR 2.19(a)(3), the Secretary of Agriculture has delegated authority 
to CNPP for, among other things, developing materials to aid the public 
in selecting food for good nutrition; coordinating nutrition education 
promotion and professional education projects within the Department; 
and consulting with the Federal and State agencies, the Congress, 
universities, and other public and private organizations and the 
general public regarding food consumption and dietary adequacy.
    The products for these initiatives will be tested using qualitative 
and possibly quantitative consumer research techniques, which may 
include focus groups (with general consumers or with specific target 
groups such as low-income consumers, children, older Americans, 
educators, students, etc.), interviews (i.e., intercept, individual, 
diads, triads, usability testing, etc.), and Web-based surveys. 
Information collected from participants will be formative and will be 
used to improve the clarity, understandability, and acceptability of 
the resources, messages and products. Information collected will not be 
nationally representative, and no attempt will be made to generalize 
the findings to be nationally representative or statistically valid.
    Affected Public: Individuals and Households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 57,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: One.
    Estimated Time per Response: 12.63 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 12,004 hours.

                                                               Estimation of Burden Hours
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                                                                                                             Estimate
                                                                                                           total annual
              Affected public                    Survey instruments          Number of     Frequency of    responses per     Hours per     Total burden
                                                                            respondents      responses      respondent       response          (exf)
                                                                                                               (cxd)
(a)                                         (b).........................             (c)             (d)             (e)             (f)             (g)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    Reporting Burden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individuals & Households..................  Focus Group Screeners.......        7,500.00            1.00        7,500.00            0.25        1,875.00
                                            Interview Screeners.........        7,500.00            1.00        7,500.00            0.25        1,875.00
                                            Focus Groups................          500.00            1.00          500.00            2.00        1,000.00
                                            Interviews..................          500.00            1.00          500.00            1.00          500.00
                                            Web-based Collections.......       20,000.00            1.00       20,000.00            0.25        5,000.00
                                            Confidentiality Agreement...       21,000.00            1.00       21,000.00            0.08        1,753.50
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.................................  ............................       57,000.00            1.00       57,000.00           32.00       12,003.50
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    Dated: June 21, 2012.
Rajen Anand,
Executive Director, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
[FR Doc. 2012-18069 Filed 7-23-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P