2016-14932. Food Additives Permitted in Feed and Drinking Water of Animals; Chromium Propionate; Extension of the Comment Period

AGENCY:

Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Final rule; extension of the comment period.

SUMMARY:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is extending the comment period for the final rule, published in the Federal Register of June 3, 2016, amending the regulations for food additives permitted in feed and drinking water of animals to provide for the safe use of chromium propionate as a source of chromium in broiler chicken feed. This action is in response to a food additive petition filed by Kemin Industries, Inc. We are taking this action due to maintenance on the Federal eRulemaking portal from July 1 through July 5, 2016.

DATES:

The FDA confirms the June 3, 2016, effective date of the final rule that published on June 3, 2016 (81 FR 35610). The comment period for the final rule is extended. Submit either electronic or written comments by July 19, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments as follows:

Electronic Submissions

Submit electronic comments in the following way:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted electronically, including attachments, to http://www.regulations.gov will be posted to the docket unchanged. Because your comment will be made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your comment does not include any confidential information that you or a third party may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone else's Social Security number, or confidential business information, such as a manufacturing process. Please note that if you include your name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in the body of your comments, that information will be posted on http://www.regulations.gov.
• If you want to submit a comment with confidential information that you do not wish to be made available to the public, submit the comment as a written/paper submission and in the manner detailed (see “Written/Paper Submissions” and “Instructions”).

Written/Paper Submissions

Submit written/paper submissions as follows:

• Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for written/paper submissions): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
• For written/paper comments submitted to the Division of Dockets Management, FDA will post your comment, as well as any attachments, except for information submitted, marked and identified, as confidential, if submitted as detailed in “Instructions.”

Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket No. FDA-2014-F-0232 for “Food Additives Permitted in Feed and Drinking Water of Animals; Chromium Propionate.” Received comments will be placed in the docket and, except for those submitted as “Confidential Submissions,” publicly viewable at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Division of Dockets Management between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

• Confidential Submissions—To submit a comment with confidential information that you do not wish to be made publicly available, submit your comments only as a written/paper submission. You should submit two copies total. One copy will include the information you claim to be confidential with a heading or cover note that states “THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.” The Agency will review this copy, including the claimed confidential information, in its consideration of comments. The second copy, which will have the claimed confidential information redacted/blacked out, will be available for public viewing and posted on http://www.regulations.gov. Submit both copies to the Division of Dockets Management. If you do not wish your name and contact information to be made publicly available, you can provide this information on the cover sheet and not in the body of your comments and you must identify this information as “confidential.” Any information marked as “confidential” will not be disclosed except in accordance with 21 CFR 10.20 and other applicable disclosure law. For more information about FDA's posting of comments to public dockets, see 80 FR 56469, September 18, 2015, or access the information at: http://www.fda.gov/​regulatoryinformation/​dockets/​default.htm.

Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number, found in brackets in the heading of this document, into the “Search” box and follow the prompts and/or go to the Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Chelsea Trull, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration, 7519 Standish Pl., Rockville, MD 20855, 240-402-6729, [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In the Federal Register of June 3, 2016 (81 FR 35610), FDA amended the regulations for food additives permitted in feed and drinking water of animals to provide for the safe use of chromium propionate as a source of chromium in broiler chicken feed. This action is in response to a food additive petition filed by Kemin Industries, Inc. (Kemin). FDA found no significant environmental impact of this action based on its evaluation of evidence contained in an environmental assessment submitted by Kemin.

Interested persons were originally given until July 5, 2016, to submit comments or written objections and a request for a hearing.

From July 1 through July 5, 2016, the Federal eRulemaking Portal, http://www.regulations.gov,, is undergoing maintenance. Therefore, we are extending the comment period for the regulations permitting the use of chromium propionate as a source of chromium in broiler chicken feed and for FDA's finding of no significant environmental impact. The extended comment period will close on July 19, 2016.

Dated: June 20, 2016.

Tracey Forfa,

Acting Director, Center for Veterinary Medicine.