Document ID: FDA-2014-N-0595-0076
Agency: fda
Document Type: Notice
Title: Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration Advice About Eating Fish; Closure of the Public Comment Period
Posted Date: 2015-02-24T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 36 (Tuesday, February 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 9732]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03691]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2014-N-0595]

Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration 
Advice About Eating Fish; Closure of the Public Comment Period

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice; closure of the public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On June 11, 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in 
coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), (the 
Agencies), released for public comment draft fish consumption advice 
entitled ``Fish: What Pregnant Women and Parents Should Know.'' The 
draft advice would update the Agencies' consumption advice and 
recommend that women who are pregnant (or might become pregnant) or 
nursing and anyone who prepares food for young children eat certain 
amounts and types of fish in order to improve health and developmental 
outcomes while minimizing risk from methylmercury in fish. The draft 
advice is consistent with recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for 
Americans 2010, which are issued every 5 years by the U.S. Departments 
of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. FDA and EPA are now 
announcing the closure of the public comment period.

DATES: The comment period will close on March 26, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Comments may continue to be submitted until March 26, 2015. 
Submit electronic comments to http://www.regulations.gov. Submit 
written comments to the Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food 
and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 
20852. FDA will share with EPA all comments submitted to the FDA 
docket.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FDA: William Jones, Center for Food 
Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint 
Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD 20740-3835, 240-402-1422, email: 
William.Jones@fda.hhs.gov; EPA: Jeffrey Bigler, MS-4305T, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460, 202-566-0389, email: bigler.jeff@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Federal Register of June 11, 2014 (79 
FR 33559), FDA, in coordination with EPA, announced the availability of 
the draft updated fish advice, entitled ``Fish: What Pregnant Women and 
Parents Should Know,'' for public comment (the notice). The draft 
advice is available electronically at http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm393070.htm. The notice stated 
that the comment period would be open until 30 days after the last 
transcript became available from either the FDA Risk Communication 
Advisory Committee (RCAC) meeting to be held on the draft advice or any 
other public meeting that the Agencies chose to hold on the draft 
advice (79 FR 33559). The notice also stated that the date for closure 
of public comment will be published in a future notice in the Federal 
Register (id.).
    The RCAC meeting was held on November 3 and 4, 2014, and the 
transcript of the meeting became available on December 2, 2014. The 
meeting addressed the draft updated fish advice in great detail and 
included presentations by the Agencies on both the substance and the 
presentation of the draft advice, and included presentations by invited 
experts in risk communications. The meeting also provided members of 
the public with an opportunity to express their views to the RCAC and 
to members of the Agencies who were in attendance. A number of 
organizations and private citizens availed themselves of this 
opportunity. For these reasons, FDA and EPA have concluded that the 
thoroughness of this public meeting, in addition to the public comments 
received and still to be received, remove the need for additional 
public meetings and are hereby closing the public comment period on 
March 26, 2015. The transcript from the RCAC meeting is available 
electronically at http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/RiskCommunicationAdvisoryCommittee/UCM425352.pdf and http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/RiskCommunicationAdvisoryCommittee/UCM425353.pdf.

     Dated: February 18, 2015.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2015-03691 Filed 2-23-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P