2020-08762. Canned Pacific Salmon Deviating From Identity Standard; Amendment of Temporary Marketing Permit

AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending Bumble Bee Seafoods Inc.'s temporary permit to market test canned skinless and boneless chunk salmon packed in water that contains sodium tripolyphosphate to inhibit protein curd formation during retorting. The temporary permit is amended to allow for the canned skinless and boneless chunk salmon packed in water with or without sodium tripolyphosphate and to update the manufacturing location. This amendment will allow the applicant to continue to test market the test product and collect data on consumer acceptance of the test product.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Loretta A. Carey, 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 July 13, 1987 (52 FR 26186), we issued a notice announcing that we had issued a temporary permit to Bumble Bee Seafoods, Inc., San Diego, CA 92123, to market test products identified as canned skinless and boneless chunk salmon packed in water and containing added sodium tripolyphosphate to inhibit protein curd formation during retorting. The permit allowed for the test product to be manufactured at a plant located in Petersburg, AK. We issued the permit to facilitate market testing of products that deviate from the requirements of the standard of identity for canned Pacific salmon in 21 CFR 161.170, which were issued under section 401 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 341).

In the Federal Register of April 8, 1988 (53 FR 11710), we issued a notice announcing that we had amended the temporary permit to permit the test product be manufactured at one additional plant, Chugach Alaska Fisheries, Inc., Ocean Dock Rd., Cordova, AK 99574. In the Federal Register of September 6, 1988 (53 FR 34354), we issued another notice announcing that we were extending the expiration date of the permit to either the effective date of a final rule for any proposal to amend the standard of identity for canned Pacific salmon that may result from the National Food Processors Association's petition, submitted on behalf of Bumble Bee Seafoods, Inc., and other salmon packers holding temporary permits, or 30 days after termination of such proposal.

Under our regulations at 21 CFR 130.17(f), we are amending the temporary permit issued to Bumble Bee Seafoods, Inc., to allow for the canned skinless and boneless chunk salmon packed in water with or without sodium tripolyphosphate and to allow the test product to be manufactured only at one plant, Pataya Food Industries Ltd., located at 90/6 Moo 7, Settakit Road, Tambol Tarsai, Amphur Maung, Samutsakorn 74000 Thailand. All other conditions and terms of this permit remain the same.

Dated: April 20, 2020.

Lowell J. Schiller,

Principal Associate Commissioner for Policy.