2014-27517. Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Notification of a Health Claim or Nutrient Content Claim Based on an Authoritative Statement of a Scientific Body

AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on our proposed collection of certain information by the Agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), Federal Agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment. This notice invites comments on the collection of information associated with the submission of notifications of health claims or nutrient content claims based on authoritative statements of scientific bodies of the U.S. Government.

DATES:

Submit either electronic or written comments on the collection of information by January 20, 2015.

ADDRESSES:

Submit electronic comments on the collection of information to http://www.regulations.gov. Submit written comments on the collection of information to the Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. All comments should be identified with the docket number found in brackets in the heading of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

FDA PRA Staff, Office of Operations, Food and Drug Administration, 8455 Colesville Rd., COLE-14526, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal Agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. “Collection of information” is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) and includes Agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires Federal Agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, we are publishing notice of the proposed collection of information set forth in this document.

With respect to the following collection of information, we invite comments on these topics: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of our functions, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques, when appropriate, and other forms of information technology.

Notification of a Health Claim or Nutrient Content Claim Based on an Authoritative Statement of a Scientific Body—(OMB Control Number 0910-0374)—Extension

Section 403(r)(2)(G) and (r)(3)(C) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) (21 U.S.C. 343(r)(2)(G) and (r)(3)(C)), as amended by the FDA Modernization Act of 1997, provides that any person may market a food product whose label bears a nutrient content claim or a health claim that is based on an authoritative statement of a scientific body of the U.S. Government or the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Under this section of the FD&C Act, a person that intends to use such a claim must submit a notification of its intention to use the claim 120 days before it begins marketing the product bearing the claim. In the Federal Register of June 11, 1998 (63 FR 32102), we announced the availability of a guidance entitled “Guidance for Industry: Notification of a Health Claim or Nutrient Content Claim Based on an Authoritative Statement of a Scientific Body.” The guidance provides the Agency's interpretation of terms central to the submission of a notification and the Agency's views on the information that should be included in the notification. We believe that the guidance will enable persons to meet the criteria for notifications that are established in section 403(r)(2)(G) and (r)(3)(C) of the FD&C Act. In addition to the information specifically required by the FD&C Act to be in such notifications, the guidance states that the notifications should also contain information on analytical methodology for the nutrient that is the subject of a claim based on an authoritative statement. We intend to review the notifications we receive to ensure that they comply with the criteria established by the FD&C Act.

We estimate the burden of this collection of information as follows:

Table 1—Estimated Annual Reporting Burden ¹

Section of the FD&C Act	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Total annual responses	Average burden per response	Total hours
403(r)(2)(G) (nutrient content claims)	1	1	1	250	250
403(r)(2)(C) (health claims)	1	1	1	450	450
Guidance for Notifications	2	1	2	1	2
Total					702
1 There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of information.

These estimates are based on our experience with health claims, nutrient content claims, and other similar notification procedures that fall under our jurisdiction. To avoid estimating the number of respondents as zero, we estimate that there will be one or fewer respondents annually for nutrient content claim and health claim notifications. We estimate that we will receive one nutrient content claim notification and one health claim notification per year over the next 3 years.

Section 403(r)(2)(G) and (r)(3)(C) of the FD&C Act requires that the notification include the exact words of the claim, a copy of the authoritative statement, a concise description of the basis upon which such person relied for determining that this is an authoritative statement as outlined in the FD&C Act, and a balanced representation of the scientific literature relating to the relationship between a nutrient and a disease or health-related condition to which a health claim refers or to the nutrient level to which the nutrient content claim refers. This balanced representation of the scientific literature is expected to include a bibliography of the scientific literature on the topic of the claim and a brief, balanced account or analysis of how this literature either supports or fails to support the authoritative statement.

Since the claims are based on authoritative statements of a scientific body of the U.S. Government or NAS, we believe that the information that is required by the FD&C Act to be submitted with a notification will be readily available to a respondent. However, the respondent will have to collect and assemble that information. Based on communications with firms that have submitted notifications, we estimate that one respondent will take 250 hours to collect and assemble the information required by the statute for a nutrient content claim notification. Further, we estimate that one respondent will take 450 hours to collect and assemble the information required by the statute for a health claim notification.

Under the guidance, notifications should also contain information on analytical methodology for the nutrient that is the subject of a claim based on an authoritative statement. The guidance applies to both nutrient content claim and health claim notifications. We have determined that this information should be readily available to a respondent and, thus, we estimate that it will take a respondent 1 hour to incorporate the information into each notification. We expect there will be two respondents for a total of 2 hours.

Dated: November 17, 2014.

Leslie Kux,

Associate Commissioner for Policy.