93470 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 27, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

(2) For all other blueberries, a process 

by which parts of the bush are cut off 

or the bush is cut back. 

* * * * * 

Marcia Bunger, 

Manager, Federal Crop Insurance 

Corporation. 

[FR Doc. 2024–27225 Filed 11–26–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–08–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

9 CFR Parts 317 and 381 

[Docket No. FSIS–2022–0016] 

RIN 0583–AD77 

Uniform Compliance Date for Food 

Labeling Regulations 

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection 

Service (FSIS), U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA). 

ACTION: Final action. 

SUMMARY: FSIS is establishing January 1, 

2028, as the uniform compliance date 

for new meat and poultry product 

labeling regulations that will be issued 

between January 1, 2025, and December 

31, 2026. FSIS periodically announces 

uniform compliance dates for new meat 

and poultry product labeling regulations 

to minimize the economic impact of 

label changes. 

DATES: Effective date: This action is 

effective November 27, 2024. 

Compliance date: The uniform 

compliance date for new meat and 

poultry product labeling regulations that 

will be issued between January 1, 2025, 

and December 31, 2026, is January 1, 

2028. 

Comments due date: Comments on 

this final action must be received on or 

before December 27, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested 

persons to submit comments on this 

rule. Comments may be submitted by 

one of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: This 

website provides the ability to type 

short comments directly into the 

comment field on this web page or 

attach a file for lengthier comments. Go 

to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow 

the on-line instructions at that site for 

submitting comments. 

• Mail: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Food Safety 

and Inspection Service, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 

3758, Washington, DC 20250–3700. 

• Hand- or Courier-Delivered 

Submittals: Deliver to 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Jamie L. 

Whitten Building, Room 350–E, 

Washington, DC 20250–3700. 

Instructions: All items submitted by 

mail or electronic mail must include the 

Agency name and docket number FSIS– 

2022–0016. Comments received in 

response to this docket will be made 

available for public inspection and 

posted without change, including any 

personal information, to https://

www.regulations.gov. 

Docket: For access to background 

documents or comments received, call 

202–720–5046 to schedule a time to 

visit the FSIS Docket Room at 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–3700. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Contact Rosalyn Murphy-Jenkins, 

Director, Labeling and Program Delivery 

Staff, Office of Policy and Program 

Development, Food Safety and 

Inspection Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Telephone: (301) 504–0878. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On December 14, 2004, FSIS issued a 

final rule establishing January 1, 2008, 

as the uniform compliance date for new 

meat and poultry labeling regulations 

issued between January 1, 2005, and 

December 31, 2006 (69 FR 74405). The 

2004 final rule also provided that the 

Agency would set uniform compliance 

dates for new labeling regulations in 2- 

year increments and periodically issue 

final rules announcing and requesting 

comments on those dates. Consistent 

with the 2004 final rule, the Agency has 

since published nine rules establishing 

the uniform compliance dates of January 

1, 2010, January 1, 2012, January 1, 

2014, January 1, 2016, January 1, 2018, 

January 1, 2020, January 1, 2022, 

January 1, 2024, and January 1, 2026 (72 

FR 9651, 73 FR 75564, 75 FR 71344, 77 

FR 76824, 79 FR 71007, 81 FR 91670, 

83 FR 63052, 85 FR 81339, and 87 FR 

77707). 

The Final Rule 

The new uniform compliance date 

will apply only to final FSIS regulations 

that require changes in the labeling of 

meat and poultry products and that are 

published after January 1, 2025, and 

before December 31, 2026. For each 

final rule that requires changes in 

labeling, FSIS will specifically identify 

January 1, 2028, as the compliance date. 

All meat and poultry food products that 

are subject to labeling regulations issued 

between January 1, 2025, and December 

31, 2026, will be required to comply 

with these regulations on products 

introduced into commerce on or after 

January 1, 2028. If any food labeling 

regulation involves special 

circumstances that justify a compliance 

date other than January 1, 2028, the 

Agency will determine an appropriate 

compliance date and will publish that 

compliance date in the rulemaking. 

Two-year increments increase 

industry’s ability to make orderly 

adjustments to new labeling 

requirements without exposing 

consumers to outdated labels. This 

approach allows meat and poultry 

producers to plan for the use of label 

inventories and to develop new labeling 

materials that meet the new 

requirements. It also serves to reduce 

the economic impact of changing labels 

on both producers and consumers. 

In the March 5, 2007, final rule, FSIS 

received only four comments on the 

announced uniform compliance dates, 

all in support. In the March 5, 2007, 

final rule, FSIS determined that further 

rulemaking for uniform compliance 

dates for labeling requirements is 

unnecessary (72 FR 9651). The Agency 

received no comments on the 2007 final 

rule, the comments FSIS received on the 

2012 final rule were outside the scope 

(77 FR 76824), and FSIS received no 

comments on the 2014 final rule (79 FR 

71007) or the 2016 final rule (81 FR 

91670). The Agency received four 

comments on the 2018 final rule (83 FR 

63052), all in support. The Agency 

received four comments on the 2020 

final rule (85 FR 81339); one was 

outside the scope of the rulemaking and 

three were in support of the rule. The 

Agency received two comments on the 

2022 final rule (87 FR 77707); one was 

in support of the rule, and one 

requested a 90-day extension because of 

potential supply chain issues for selfadhesive label materials. Because the 

commenter did not provide any 

additional information to support their 

claim about supply shortages and no 

other members of industry expressed 

concerns about a shortage, FSIS did not 

change the uniform compliance date. 

Consistent with its statement in 2007, 

FSIS finds that further rulemaking on 

this matter is unnecessary. However, 

FSIS is providing an opportunity for 

comment on the uniform compliance 

date established in this final rule. 

Executive Orders 12866 and 13563, and 

the Regulatory Flexibility Act 

Executive Orders (E.O.) 12866 (as 

amended by E.O. 14094) and 13563 

direct agencies to assess all costs and 

benefits of available regulatory 

alternatives and, if regulation is 

necessary, to select regulatory 

approaches that maximize net benefits 

(including potential economic, 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 27, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 93471 

environmental, public health and safety 

effects, distributive impacts, and 

equity). E.O. 13563 emphasizes the 

importance of quantifying both costs 

and benefits, of reducing costs, of 

harmonizing rules, and of promoting 

flexibility. This final rule has been 

designated as a ‘‘non-significant’’ 

regulatory action under section 3(f) of 

E.O. 12866. Accordingly, the final rule 

has not been reviewed by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) under 

E.O. 12866. 

This rule does not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities; consequently, 

a regulatory flexibility analysis is not 

required (5 U.S.C. 601–612). 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

FSIS has reviewed this rule under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3501–3520) and has determined 

that there is no new information 

collection related to this final rule. 

Under this final rule, the Agency is 

establishing January 1, 2028, as the 

uniform compliance date for new meat 

and poultry product labeling regulations 

that will be issued between January 1, 

2025, and December 31, 2026. The 

relevant information collection or 

record keeping requirements are 

covered under OMB approval number 

0583–0092, Marking, Labeling, and 

Packaging. 

E-Government Act 

FSIS and USDA are committed to 

achieving the purposes of the EGovernment Act (44 U.S.C. 3601, et 

seq.) by, among other things, promoting 

the use of the internet and other 

information technologies and providing 

increased opportunities for citizen 

access to Government information and 

services, and for other purposes. 

Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice 

Reform 

This final action has been reviewed 

under E.O. 12988, Civil Justice Reform. 

Under this rule: (1) All State and local 

laws and regulations that are 

inconsistent with this action will be 

preempted; (2) no retroactive effect will 

be given to this action; and (3) no 

administrative proceedings will be 

required before parties may file suit in 

court challenging this rule. However, 

parties may be required to exhaust their 

administrative remedies before 

challenging in court any specific agency 

action that is the subject of an appeal 

pursuant to this action. 

Executive Order 13175 

This rule has been reviewed in 

accordance with the requirements of 

E.O. 13175, ‘‘Consultation and 

Coordination with Indian Tribal 

Governments.’’ E.O. 13175 requires 

Federal agencies to consult and 

coordinate with tribes on a governmentto-government basis on policies that 

have tribal implications, including 

regulations, legislative comments or 

proposed legislation, and other policy 

statements or actions that have 

substantial direct effects on one or more 

Indian tribes, on the relationship 

between the Federal Government and 

Indian tribes or on the distribution of 

power and responsibilities between the 

Federal Government and Indian tribes. 

FSIS has assessed the impact of this 

action on Indian tribes and determined 

that this rule does not, to our 

knowledge, have tribal implications that 

require tribal consultation under E.O. 

13175. If a tribe requests consultation, 

FSIS will work with the Office of Tribal 

Relations to ensure meaningful 

consultation is provided where changes, 

additions, and modifications identified 

herein are not expressly mandated by 

Congress. 

Additional Public Notification 

Public awareness of all segments of 

rulemaking and policy development is 

important. Consequently, FSIS will 

announce this Federal Register 

publication on-line through the FSIS 

web page located at: https://

www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register. 

FSIS will also announce and provide 

a link to it through the FSIS Constituent 

Update, which is used to provide 

information regarding FSIS policies, 

procedures, regulations, Federal 

Register notices, FSIS public meetings, 

and other types of information that 

could affect or would be of interest to 

our constituents and stakeholders. The 

Constituent Update is available on the 

FSIS web page. Through the web page, 

FSIS is able to provide information to a 

much broader, more diverse audience. 

In addition, FSIS offers an email 

subscription service which provides 

automatic and customized access to 

selected food safety news and 

information. This service is available at: 

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. 

Options range from recalls to export 

information, regulations, directives, and 

notices. Customers can add or delete 

subscriptions themselves and have the 

option to password protect their 

accounts. 

USDA’s Non-Discrimination Statement 

In accordance with Federal civil 

rights law and USDA civil rights 

regulations and policies, USDA, its 

Mission Areas, agencies, staff offices, 

employees, and institutions 

participating in or administering USDA 

programs are prohibited from 

discriminating based on race, color, 

national origin, religion, sex, gender 

identity (including gender expression), 

sexual orientation, disability, age, 

marital status, family/parental status, 

income derived from a public assistance 

program, political beliefs, or reprisal or 

retaliation for prior civil rights activity, 

in any program or activity conducted or 

funded by USDA (not all bases apply to 

all programs). Remedies and complaint 

filing deadlines vary by program or 

incident. 

Program information may be made 

available in languages other than 

English. Persons with disabilities who 

require alternative means of 

communication to obtain program 

information (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, American Sign Language) 

should contact the responsible Mission 

Area, agency, or staff office; the USDA 

TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 

(voice and TTY); or the Federal Relay 

Service at (800) 877–8339. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, a complainant should 

complete a Form AD–3027, USDA 

Program Discrimination Complaint 

Form, which can be obtained online at 

https://www.usda.gov/forms/electronicforms, from any USDA office, by calling 

(866) 632–9992, or by writing a letter 

addressed to USDA. The letter must 

contain the complainant’s name, 

address, telephone number, and a 

written description of the alleged 

discriminatory action in sufficient detail 

to inform the Assistant Secretary for 

Civil Rights about the nature and date 

of an alleged civil rights violation. The 

completed AD–3027 form or letter must 

be submitted to USDA by: 

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410; 

(2) Fax: (833) 256–1665 or (202) 690– 

7442; or 

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Done in Washington, DC. 

Paul Kiecker, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2024–27864 Filed 11–26–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 


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