WASHINGTON NEWS

How should labels indicate allergens?
The Food and Drug Administration is requesting comments on how to label food products containing allergens. Deadline for comments is October 29. Details are in the Federal Register of July 25 (66 FR 38591-38594). For more information, contact Catalina Ferre-Hockensmith at FDA, 200 C St., S.W., Washington, DC 20204 (phone 202-205-4168).

How to inspect for allergens
FDA has issued guidance regarding inspection of firms producing food products susceptible to contamination with allergenic ingredients. Details are in the Federal Register of August 15 (66 FR 42869-42870). For more information, contact Kathy Gombas at FDA, 200 C St., S.W., Washington, DC 20204 (phone 202-205-4231).

Must declare use of natural casings
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is requiring that firms provide label disclosure of the source of natural casings used on sausage if they are derived from a different type of meat or poultry than that in the sausage, and keep records documenting the source of the casings. Labels of sausage encased in regenerated collagen casings must disclose the use of the casing, but records on their source need not be kept. Details are in the Federal Register of August 6 (66 FR 40843-40845). For more information, contact Robert Post at USDA/FSIS, 300 12th St., S.W., Washington, DC 20250-3700 (phone 202-205-0279).

How should U.S. beef be labeled?
FSIS is asking how best to label meat products to indicate that they are derived from U.S. cattle and whether regulations are needed to clarify the definition of “United States cattle” and “United States fresh beef products” for labeling purposes. Deadline for comments is October 9. Details are in the Federal Register of August 7 (66 FR 41160-41162). For more information, contact Robert C. Post at USDA/FSIS, 300 12th St., S.W., Washington, DC 20250-3700 (phone 202-205-0279).

Residue violators will be publicized
FSIS will no longer test livestock or poultry carcasses from producers and others who have previously marketed such animals with violative levels of drug, pesticide, or other chemical residues until a specific number of the carcasses consecutively test negative. Instead, it will post on its Web site the names and addresses of the sellers of livestock and poultry that FDA has determined are responsible for repeated violations. Details are in the Federal Register of August 6 (66 FR 40965-40967). For more information, contact Daniel L. Lazenby at USDA/FSIS, 300 12th St., S.W., Washington, DC 20250 (phone 202-205-0210)

Animal imports from certain areas banned
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is prohibiting the importation of certain animal materials, their derivatives, and products they are used in, from regions considered to present an unacceptable risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy into the U.S. Deadline for comments is October 15. Details are in the Federal Register of August 14 (66 FR 42595-42601). For more information, contact Donna Malloy at USDA/APHIS, 4700 River Rd., Riverdale, MD 20737-1231 (phone 301-734-3277).

Input sought on agricultural programs
USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service is seeking input to help it establish priorities for activities it conducts or funds. It will hold listening sessions in Fresno, Calif., on October 3 and New Orleans, La., on October 25. Deadline for comments is December 1. Details are in the Federal Register of August 20 (66 FR 43757-43760). For more information, contact Mary H. Humphreys at USDA/CSREES, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20250-2201 (phone 202-720-2667).

May reduce maximum milk bacterial levels
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to reduce the maximum allowable bacterial estimate in producer herd milk and commingled milk, modify the followup procedures when the maximum estimate is exceeded, and revise the process by which drug residue test methods are evaluated and accepted. Deadline for comments is October 12. Details are in the Federal Register of August 13 (66 FR 42458-42464). For more information, contact Susan Sausville at USDA/AMS, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, D.C. 20290-6456 (phone 202-720-7473).

How to submit petitions electronically
FDA has issued guidance for industry regarding electronic submission of food additive and color additive petitions. Deadline for comments is October 1. Details are in the Federal Register of July 31 (66 FR 39517-39521). For more information, contact JoAnn Ziyad at FDA, 200 C St., S.W., Washington, DC 20204 (phone 202-418-3116).

by NEIL H. MERMELSTEIN
Editor