[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 126 (Monday, July 3, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 30730-30731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13889]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

21 CFR Parts 11 and 101

[Docket No. FDA-2011-F-0172]
RIN 0910-AG57


Food Labeling; Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in 
Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments; Extension of 
Comment Period

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Interim final rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is extending the 
comment period for the interim final rule that appeared in the Federal 
Register of May 4, 2017. In the interim final rule, FDA requested 
comments on the extension of the compliance date for our final rule 
requiring disclosure of certain nutrition information for standard menu 
items in certain restaurants and retail food establishments. The 
interim final rule extended the compliance date from May 5, 2017, to 
May 7, 2018, and invited comment on several specific questions on how 
we might further reduce the regulatory burden or increase flexibility 
while continuing to achieve our regulatory objectives to provide 
consumers with nutrition information so that they can make informed 
choices for themselves and their families. We are taking this action in 
response to a request for an extension to allow interested persons 
additional time to submit comments.

DATES: FDA is extending the comment period on the interim final rule 
published May 4, 2017 (82 FR 20825). Submit either electronic or 
written comments by August 2, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments as follows. Please note that late, 
untimely filed comments will not be considered. Electronic comments 
must be submitted on or before August 2, 2017. The https://www.regulations.gov electronic filing system will accept comments until 
midnight Eastern Time at the end of August 2, 2017. Comments received 
by mail/hand delivery/courier (for written/paper submissions) will be 
considered timely if they are postmarked or the delivery service 
acceptance receipt is on or before that date.

[[Page 30731]]

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-2011-F-0172 for ``Food Labeling; Nutrition Labeling of Standard 
Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments.'' 
Received comments, those filed in a timely manner (see ADDRESSES), 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.
     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.'' We will review 
this copy, including the claimed confidential information, in our 
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 ``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.gpo.gov/fdsys/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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Felicia B. Billingslea, Center for 
Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-820), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5001 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20740, 240-402-2371.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Federal Register of May 4, 2017, FDA 
published an interim final rule with a 60-day comment period to request 
comments on the extension of the compliance date for our final rule 
requiring disclosure of certain nutrition information for standard menu 
items in certain restaurants and retail food establishments. The 
interim final rule extended the compliance date from May 5, 2017, to 
May 7, 2018, and invited comment on several specific questions on how 
we might further reduce the regulatory burden or increase flexibility 
while continuing to achieve our regulatory objectives to provide 
consumers with nutrition information so that they can make informed 
choices for themselves and their families. Comments will inform FDA's 
regulation for the disclosure of certain nutrition information for 
standard menu items in certain restaurants and retail food 
establishments.
    We have received a request for a 60-day extension of the comment 
period for the interim final rule. The request conveyed concern that 
the current 60-day comment period does not allow sufficient time to 
develop a meaningful or thoughtful response to the interim final rule.
    FDA has considered the request and is extending the comment period 
for the interim final rule for 30 days, until August 2, 2017. We 
believe that a 30-day extension allows adequate time for interested 
persons to submit comments without significantly delaying Agency action 
on these important issues.

    Dated: June 27, 2017.
Anna K. Abram,
Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Planning, Legislation, and Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2017-13889 Filed 6-30-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P