. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/USA/2461 
12 September 2012  
 (12-4864) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  US Food and Drug Administration 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  Acacia gum (gum arabic) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Nexira;  Filing of Food Additive Petition;  Amendment  
Language(s):  English  Number of pages:  2 
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2012-09-04/pdf/2012-21639.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The Food and Drug Administration is amending the filing notice 
for a food additive petition filed by Nexira prop osing that the food additive regulations be 
amended to provide for the expanded safe use of acacia gum (gum arabic) in foods.  Under 
the National Environmental Policy Act, the Agency must assess the environmental impacts 
of its actions.  Therefore, either a claim of categorical exclusion or an environmental assessment is required to be submitted in a f ood additive petition.  A claim of categorical 
exclusion was submitted with the petition,  however, upon further review, the Agency 
determined that the categorical exclusion is not applicable for the proposed action.  This 
notice announces the availability of the petitione r's environmental assessment, which is on 
display for public review and comment. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other damage from pests.    
8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    G/SPS/N/USA/2461 
Page 2  
 
  [X] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [ ] Yes   [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:    
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:      
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  4 October 2012 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Submit electronic comments in the following way: 
Federal eRulemaking Portal:  http://www.regulations.gov .  Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments. 
Submit written submissions in the following ways: 
Fax:  301-827-6870 Mail/Hand delivery/Courier [For paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions]: Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Dr ug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 
1061, Rockville, MD 20852. 
Instructions:  All submissions received must include the agency name and docket number 
FDA-2011-F-0765 for this rulemaking.  All comments received may be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov , including any personal information provided.  For 
additional information on s ubmitting comments, see the "Comments" heading of the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document. 
Docket:  For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go 
to http://www.regulations.gov  and insert the docket number(s), 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 Fisher s Lane, rm. 1061, Roc kville, MD  20852. 
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   United States 
SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Fore ign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1014, Washington D.C. 20250;  Tel:  +(1 
202) 720 1301;  Fax:  +(1 202) 720 0433;  E-mail:  us.s psenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov