[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 1, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5455-5457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02042]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2021-0031]


Notice of Request for a New Information Collection: Analyzing 
Consumers' Value of ``Product of USA'' Labeling Claims

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and 
Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to collect 
information using a web-based survey/experiment to help gauge consumer 
awareness and understanding of current ``Product of USA'' labeling 
claims on meat (beef and pork) products and consumer willingness to pay 
(WTP) for meat products labeled as ``Product of USA'' using the current 
and potentially revised definitions of the claim. FSIS also intends to 
collect information on consumer understanding of other ``USDA'' 
labeling on meat products, such as the ``USDA Choice'' label and the 
USDA mark of inspection. This is a new information collection with an 
estimated annual burden of 1,815.1 hours.

DATES: Submit comments on or before April 4, 2022.

ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this 
Federal Register notice. Comments may be submitted by one of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website provides 
commenters the ability to type short comments directly into the comment 
field on the web page or to attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to 
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions at that 
site for submitting comments.
     Mail: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
     Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2021-0031. Comments 
received in response to this docket will be made available for public 
inspection and posted without change, including any personal 
information, to https://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, 
call (202) 205-0495 to schedule a time to visit the FSIS Docket Room at 
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and 
Program Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, South Building, Washington, DC 
20250-3700; (202) 720-5627.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Analyzing Consumers' Value of ``Product of USA'' Labeling 
Claims.
    OMB Number: 0583-XXXX.
    Type of Request: Request for a new information collection.
    Abstract: FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the 
functions of the Secretary (7 CFR 2.18, 2.53), as specified in the 
Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601, et seq.). This 
statute mandates that FSIS protect the public by verifying that meat 
products are safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and 
packaged.
    The FSIS Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book (the ``Policy 
Book'') provides guidance to help meat and poultry product 
manufacturers prepare product labels that are truthful and not 
misleading. The Policy Book states that meat (beef and pork) labeling 
may bear the phrase ``Product of USA'' under one of the following 
conditions:

    (1) if the country to which the product is exported requires 
this phrase, and the product is processed in the United States or
    (2) if the product is processed in the United States (i.e., is 
of domestic origin).

Accordingly, the ``Product of USA'' labeling claim may be applied to 
meat products derived from animals that have been imported from a 
foreign country but slaughtered in the United States, as well as to 
meat products that have been imported from a foreign country and 
repackaged or otherwise further processed in the United States.
    USDA has received three petitions from industry associations 
regarding the origin of meat products bearing the ``Product of USA'' 
labeling claim, requesting that the meaning of the claim be publicly 
revised by USDA. Additionally, in August 2021, bills were introduced in 
the House of Representatives and the Senate to require that cattle be 
born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States in order to bear the 
``Product of USA'' labeling claim. To address the concern that the 
``Product of USA'' labeling claim may not accurately reflect consumer 
understanding about the origin of FSIS-regulated products, FSIS intends 
to initiate rulemaking after conducting a comprehensive review of the 
current

[[Page 5456]]

voluntary ``Product of USA'' labeling claim.
    To provide information needed to support rulemaking, FSIS is 
requesting approval for a new information collection to conduct a 
consumer web-based survey/experiment on ``Product of USA'' labeling on 
meat (beef and pork) products. FSIS has not previously conducted 
consumer research on this topic. This is a new information collection 
with an estimated annual burden of 1,815.1 hours.
    The web survey/experiment will address three primary research 
questions: (1) Do consumers notice the ``Product of USA'' labeling 
claim?; (2) Do consumers understand the current ``Product of USA'' 
definition and other ``USDA'' labeling (e.g., ``USDA Choice'') as it 
relates to country of origin?; and (3) How much are consumers willing 
to pay for meat products bearing the ``Product of USA'' labeling claim 
for the current definition and potential revised definitions (e.g., if 
the meat were from an animal that was born, raised, slaughtered, and 
processed in the United States)?
    FSIS has contracted with RTI International to conduct the web-based 
survey/experiment. The web-based survey/experiment will comprise three 
components. For the first component, respondents will complete a series 
of limited time exposure tasks (LTE) to measure their extrinsic value 
(i.e., saliency) of the ``Product of USA'' labeling claim. Respondents 
will view up to six mock products that vary in terms of whether the 
``Product of USA'' claim is present, and if present, the location and 
formatting of the ``Product of USA'' claim. Respondents will be exposed 
to each mock product for a limited time (e.g., 20 seconds) then asked 
to list what labeling features they recall (unaided) and then to answer 
a series of recognition questions to indicate whether they saw specific 
images and phrases (including the ``Product of USA'' claim) or not. 
Responses will be statistically analyzed to determine respondents' 
saliency or degree of attention for the ``Product of USA'' labeling 
claim.
    For the second component, respondents will answer survey questions 
to address (1) their understanding of the current ``Product of USA'' 
labeling claim as it relates to product country of origin (e.g., born, 
raised, slaughtered, processed) and (2) their understanding of the 
meaning of other ``USDA'' labeling such as ``USDA Choice'' or the USDA 
mark of inspection, as related to product country of origin.
    For the third component, respondents will complete a discrete 
choice experiment (DCE) to measure their intrinsic value (WTP) for meat 
products bearing the ``Product of USA'' labeling claim for the current 
definition and potential revised definitions (e.g., the meat is from an 
animal that was both slaughtered and processed in the United States). 
Respondents will complete 8 to 10 choice questions in which they are 
asked to choose between two hypothetical products; for example, two 
ground beef products that differ based on the following attributes: 
Price ($/lb), definition for a ``Product of USA'' labeling claim, and 
the presence or absence of the following claims (e.g., breed, diet, 
production conditions, raising conditions, and freshness). Responses 
will be statistically analyzed to determine respondents' WTP for the 
current definition and potential revised definitions of the voluntary 
``Product of USA'' labeling claim.
    To administer the survey, RTI will partner with Ipsos' 
KnowledgePanel, a probability-based panel that is designed to be 
nationally representative of the U.S. adult population, with panel 
members recruited using address-based sampling and weighting procedures 
to provide nationally representative estimates. Ipsos will select a 
sample that is sufficient to yield 4,400 responses (including 300 
people who generally speak Spanish at home).
    A selected sample of panel members will be invited to participate 
in the study via email. Surveyed individuals will be adults (18 years 
of age and older) who speak English or Spanish (the survey will be 
translated into Spanish), have primary or shared responsibility for 
grocery shopping for their household, and are purchasers of meat 
products.
    Up to eight cognitive interviews will be conducted to evaluate and 
refine the survey instrument before receiving OMB approval. After 
receiving OMB approval, Ipsos will conduct a pilot study to ensure that 
programming logic for the online survey is correct before the full-
scale study is implemented. Participants will receive a $50 incentive 
for participating in the cognitive interviews and a $5 (equivalent) 
incentive for participating in the pilot or full-scale study.
    Estimate of Burden: Participants will be recruited for the 
cognitive interviews by posting ads on social media. It is expected 
that 12 individuals will complete a screener to determine eligibility 
for the cognitive interviews, with eight completing the cognitive 
interview. The cognitive interviews are expected to last 60 minutes. 
For the pilot study, it is expected that 83 panel members selected by 
Ipsos will receive email invitations and that 30 of the eligible panel 
members will subsequently complete the questionnaire. For the full-
scale study, it is expected that 9,778 panel members selected by Ipsos 
will receive email invitations and that 4,400 of the eligible panel 
members will subsequently complete the questionnaire. The email 
invitation for the pilot study and the full-scale study is expected to 
take 2 minutes to read. The questionnaire is expected to take 20 
minutes to complete. The total estimated burden of the web-based 
survey/experiment is 1,815.1 hours.

                                          Estimated Annual Reporting Burden for the Web-Based Survey/Experiment
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                                                                        Responses                                 Non-responses
                                   Sample             ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Total
        Study component             size       Freq                 Freq X                Burden                Freq X                Burden     burden
                                                         Count      count     Min/resp    hours      Count      count     Min/resp    hours      hours
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Cognitive Interviews:
    Screener...................         12          1          8          8          8        1.1          4          4          8        0.5        1.6
    Interview..................          8          1          8          8         60        8.0          0          0          0        0.0        8.0
Pilot Study:
    Email invitation...........         83          1         30         30          2        1.0         53         53          2        1.8        2.8
    Questionnaire..............         30          1         30         30         20       10.0          0          0          0        0.0       10.0
Full-Scale Study:
    Email invitation...........      9,778          1      4,400      4,400          2      146.7      5,378      5,378          2      179.3      326.0
    Questionnaire..............      4,400          1      4,400      4,400         20    1,466.7          0          0          0        0.0    1,466.7
                                ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Total Burden...........      9,873  .........  .........  .........  .........    1,633.5  .........  .........  .........      181.6    1,815.1
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[[Page 5457]]

    Respondents: Consumers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 9,873.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Burden on Respondents: 1,815.1 hours.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record. Copies of this information collection assessment can be 
obtained from Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and Program Development, 
Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, 
Mailstop 3758, South Building, Washington, DC 20250-3700; (202) 720-
5627.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of FSIS's 
functions, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
method and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information, including through 
the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other 
technological collection techniques, or other forms of information 
technology. Comments may be sent to both FSIS, at the addresses 
provided above, and the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB), Washington, DC 20253.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication on-line through the FSIS web page located at: 
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
    FSIS will also announce and provide a link to this Federal Register 
publication through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to 
provide information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, 
Federal Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of 
information that could affect or would be of interest to our 
constituents and stakeholders. The Constituent Update is available on 
the FSIS web page. Through the web page, FSIS can provide information 
to a much broader, more diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an 
email subscription service which provides automatic and customized 
access to selected food safety news and information. This service is 
available at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from 
recalls to export information, regulations, directives, and notices. 
Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the 
option to password protect their accounts.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

    In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its 
Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or 
administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on 
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including 
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital 
status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance 
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil 
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA 
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing 
deadlines vary by program or incident.
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of 
communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible 
Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or 
contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages 
other than English.
    To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA 
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to 
File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write 
a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the 
information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint 
form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA 
by: (1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: 
[email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, 
employer, and lender.

Paul Kiecker,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2022-02042 Filed 1-31-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P