Dear Colleague:
I am writing to inform you that FDA intends to reopen the period for interested parties to comment on the use of the term "fresh" on labeling of foods processed with alternative nonthermal technologies (Docket 00N-1351). On July 21, 2000, FDA held a public meeting to discuss the use of the term "fresh" on foods processed with these new technologies. In the Federal Register notice announcing the meeting (65 FR 41029, July 3, 2000), we stated that we would make available at our Dockets Management Branch and on FDA's website the transcript of the public meeting. Also in that notice, we stated that interested parties may submit comments to the docket until August 21, 2000. Following the public meeting, FDA received a comment from a trade association requesting more time for interested parties to comment. The trade association stated that the discussions at the public meeting made it evident that the issues surrounding the use of the term "fresh" on foods processed with new technologies is quite complicated. Thus, the trade association maintained that additional time is needed for careful consideration of the scientific and technical topics on which FDA is seeking comments.
FDA believes that reopening the comment period for an additional 60 days is appropriate. This will allow the public adequate time to read the transcript of the public meeting (now available on FDA's website at http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/flfresh.html) and to carefully consider the topics we are seeking input on before preparing their comments.
We will issue in the near future a Federal Register notice announcing the reopening of the comment period on use of the term "fresh" on the labels of foods processed with alternative technologies.
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Christine J. Lewis, Ph.D. Director Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition |
Hypertext updated by bap/dms 2000-SEP-01