Final Rule; Food Additives Permitted for Direct Addition to Food for Human Consumption; Glycerol Ester of Tall Oil Rosin

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Distribution date: 03 September 2007 | Final date for Comment: 20 September 2007

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final rule in the Federal Register on August 22, 2007 (72 FR 46895), amending the food additive regulations in §172.735 (21 CFR 172.735) to provide for the safe use of glycerol ester of tall oil rosin to adjust the density of citrus oils used in the preparation of beverages. The additive may be used at a level not to exceed 100 ppm of the finished beverage and will be a substitute for glycerol ester of wood or gum rosin, which are already permitted for this use. The rule also amended §172.735 by providing for the use of steam stripping as a purification method for producing glycerol ester of wood rosin, gum rosin, or tall oil rosin. This action is in response to a petition from Georgia-Pacific Resins, Inc. The complete text of the Final Rule in the Federal Register, 72 FR 46895 (available in English), can be found on the Internet at: http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/E7-16558.pdf. Any person who will be adversely affected by this regulation may file written or electronic objections and requests for a hearing with the Division of Dockets Management by 20 September 2007. Submit written objections and requests for a hearing identified by Docket No. 2006F-0059, by any of the following methods: . Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. . Agency Web site: http://www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the agency Web site. . Fax: 301-827-6870 . Mail/Hand delivery/Courier [For paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions]: Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. All submissions received must include the agency name and docket number for this rulemaking. All objections received will be posted without change to http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/default.htm, including any personal information provided. For further information contact: Blondell Anderson, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-265), Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD 20740-3835, 301-436-1304.

Products Covered:

Regulation Type: Addendum to Regular Notification

Adoption/publication/entry into force of reg.

Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: The 2008 Critical Use Exemption From the Phaseout of Methyl Bromide; Proposed Rule (26 pages, in English).

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Distribution date: 03 September 2007

EPA is proposing an exemption to the phaseout of methyl bromide to meet the needs of 2008 critical uses. Specifically, EPA is proposing uses that qualify for the 2008 critical use exemption and the amount of methyl bromide that may be produced, imported, or supplied from existing stocks for those uses in 2008. EPA is taking action under the authority of the Clean Air Act to reflect recent consensus decisions taken by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Protocol) at the 18th Meeting of the Parties (MOP). EPA is seeking comment on the list of critical uses and on EPA's determination of the amounts of methyl bromide needed to satisfy those uses.

Products Covered: Ozone Depleting Substances (HS:  3808; ICS: 13)

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Regulations to Law No. 28376, which prohibits and sanctions the manufacture, importation, distribution and marketing of toxic or hazardous toys and office supplies (23 pages, in Spanish).

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Distribution date: 03 September 2007

The notified Emergency Technical Regulation contains thirteen (13) titles, thirty-six (36) articles, eight (8) transitional and final provisions and five (5) annexes and covers technical issues relating to the manufacture, importation, distribution and marketing of toxic or hazardous toys and office supplies.

Products Covered: 1. Toys 9503.00.10.00 Wheeled toys designed to be ridden by children (for example, tricycles, cars, baby-walkers and similar wheeled toys);  dolls' carriages 9503.00.29.00 Dolls, whether or not dressed 9503.00.21.00   Garments and accessories therefor, footwear and headgear  9503.00.40.00   Puzzles of all kinds 9503.00.30.00 Reduced-size ("scale") model assembly kits and similar recreational models, working or not  9503.00.91.00 Electric trains, including tracks, signals and other accessories therefor  9503.00.92.00 Other constructional toys 9503.00.93.00 Toys representing animals or non-human creatures 9503.00.94.00 Musical instruments and apparatus  9503.00.9

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Sunscreen Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use; Proposed Amendment of Final Monograph; Proposed Rule (54 pages, in English).

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Distribution date: 03 September 2007

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a proposed rule that would amend the final monograph (FM) for over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen drug products as part of FDA's ongoing review of OTC drug products. This amendment addresses formulation, labelling, and testing requirements for both ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation protection. FDA proposes to add combinations of avobenzone with zinc oxide and avobenzone with ensulizole as permitted combinations of active sunscreen ingredients in the FM. FDA is issuing this proposed rule after considering public comments and new data and information that have come to FDA's attention. This rule proposes to lift the stays of 21 CFR 347.20(d) and 21 CFR Part 352 when FDA publishes a final rule based on this proposed rule.

Products Covered: Sunscreen Drug Products (HS:  3304.10-99;  ICS:  13, 71.100)

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Proposed amendment of the standards and specifications for Foods

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Distribution date: 23 August 2007 | Final date for Comment: 22 October 2007

- To amend MRLs for antibiotics in Foods - To establish additional standards for impotence drug-like substance (thiosildenafil , dimethylthiosildenafil , acetylvardenafil ) - To establish Maximum Levels for heavy metal in Fishes and mollusk

Products Covered: Food products

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Human health Veterinary drugs Heavy metals Maximum residue limits (MRLs) Food safety Contaminants

Draft of Veterinary Drug Residue Limits in Foods: Ractopamine

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Distribution date: 16 August 2007 | Final date for Comment: 21 August 2007

To establish the residue limits for veterinary drug ractopamine on the muscle, fat, liver and kidney of cattle and pigs.

Products Covered: Ractopamine

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Food safety Veterinary drugs Animal feed Human health Feed additives Maximum residue limits (MRLs)

Vaccine against Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis

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Distribution date: 07 August 2007

The Draft Normative Instruction notified as G/SPS/N/BRA/128 (technical regulation for research, development, production, evaluation, registration and permit renewal, trade and use of vaccine against canine visceral leishmaniasis) was adopted as a final text, published as Interministerial Normative Instruction Nº 31, on 9 July 2007, in the Official Gazette Nº 131 from 10 July 2007, section 1, pages 1 to 3. The full text is available only in Portuguese and can be downloaded at: http://extranet.agricultura.gov.br/sislegis-consulta/consultarLegislacao.do?operacao=visualizar&id=17939 E-mail: [email protected]

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Regulation Type: Addendum to Regular Notification

Adoption/publication/entry into force of reg.

Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (1158 - Food Additives)

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Distribution date: 03 August 2007

Health Canada has received submissions to amend the Food and Drug Regulations to permit new uses or new levels of use of the following food additives that are already listed in the Tables to Division 16 of Part B of these Regulations: - calcium sulphate as a binding agent in a blend of prepared fish or meat as described in paragraph B.21.006(n) of the Regulations, for example surimi, to enhance the gel forming capabilities of the product throughout its shelf life, at a maximum level of use of 0.06%; and - to increase the permitted level of use of sorbitol in a blend of prepared fish or meat as described in paragraph B.21.006(n) of the Regulations to provide the desired sweetening effect; the level would be increased from 3.5% to 6.0%. As a means to improve the responsiveness of the regulatory system, Interim Marketing Authorizations (IMA) were issued to permit the immediate use of these food additives. They were published in the "Government Notices" section of the Canada Gazette, Part I, as follows: - on 30 anuary 1999, for calcium sulphate in surimi; and - on 25 August 2001, for sorbitol in a blend of prepared fish and prepared meat as described in paragraph B.21.006(n). These IMAs were issued prior to June 2002, the date when Canada began to notify its IMAs. At the time that these IMAs were issued, it was anticipated that WTO notification would occur later when the appropriate regulatory amendments were published in the Canada Gazette, Part I. However, in July 2006, the Canadian regulatory process was modified to permit regulatory amendments having low significance when assessed against a triage framework to proceed directly to final approval and publication in Canada Gazette, Part II. The IMAs noted above are enabling measures as they allow the sale of additional foods containing the food additive, or the sale of food containing the food additive at higher levels than previously permitted. No concerns or issues have been identified by Canada's trading partners since the IMAs were issued. Accordingly, these regulatory amendments were considered to be of low significance and were permitted to proceed directly to the Canada Gazette, Part II. Therefore, the Food and Drug Regulations have been amended to permit the use of the food additives mentioned above in the specified applications. These IMAs were revoked on 2 May 2007, the date on which these amendments came into force.

Products Covered: Food additives (ICS: 67.220)

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Food safety Human health Food additives

Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (1082 - Food Additives)

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Distribution date: 03 August 2007

Health Canada has received submissions to amend the Food and Drug Regulations to permit new uses of the following food additives that are already listed in the Tables to Division 16 of Part B of these Regulations: - sunset yellow FCF as a colouring agent in cheese-flavoured corn snacks at a maximum level of use of 600 parts per million (p.p.m.) if used singly; if used in combination with other synthetic food colours, the maximum level of use is 300 p.p.m. in accordance with paragraph B.06.002(c) of the Regulations; - propylene glycol mono fatty acid esters (propylene glycol monostearate) as an emulsifying agent in ice cream at a maximum level of use of 0.35%; sorbitan tristearate as an emulsifying agent in unstandardized frozen desserts and ice cream at a maximum level of use of 0.035%; - sorbitan monostearate as an emulsifying agent in puddings at a maximum level of use of 0.5%; - powdered cellulose as a bulking agent in the following foods at the respective maximum levels of use: (1) Batter and breading - 1%, (2) Canapé toast - 2%, (3) Confectionery (calorie-reduced) - 25%, (4) Unstandardized edible ices - 3%, (5) Fillings - 0.5%, (6) Foods sold in tablet form - 50%, (7) Icings - 1%, (8) Seasonings - 3%, (9) Sweet baked goods - 8%; and - sodium bisulphate as a pH adjusting agent in unstandardized bakery products at a maximum level of use consistent with good manufacturing practice. As a means to improve the responsiveness of the regulatory system, Interim Marketing Authorizations (IMAs) were issued to permit the immediate use of these food additives. They were published in the "Government Notices" section of the Canada Gazette, Part I, as follows: - on 29 November 1997 for sunset yellow FCF; - on 28 August 1999 and November 3, 2001 for powdered cellulose; - on 17 November 2001 for sorbitan monostearate; - on 5 January 2002 for propylene glycol monostearate and sorbitan tristearate; and - on 30 March 2002 for sodium bisulphate. These IMAs were issued prior to June 2002, the date when Canada began to notify its IMAs. At the time that these IMAs were issued, it was anticipated that WTO notification would occur later when the appropriate regulatory amendments were published in the Canada Gazette, Part I. However, in July 2006, the Canadian regulatory process was modified to permit regulatory amendments having low significance when assessed against a triage framework to proceed directly to final approval and publication in Canada Gazette, Part II. The IMAs noted above are enabling measures as they allow the sale of additional foods containing the food additive, or the sale of food containing the food additive at higher levels than previously permitted. No concerns or issues have been identified by Canada's trading partners since the IMAs were issued. Accordingly, these regulatory amendments were considered to be of low significance and were permitted to proceed directly to the Canada Gazette, Part II. Therefore, the Food and Drug Regulations have been amended to permit the use of the food additives mentioned above in the specified applications. These IMAs were revoked on 2 May 2007, the date on which these amendments came into force.

Products Covered: Food additives (ICS: 67.220)

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Food safety Human health Food additives

Ley de Sanidad Animal (Animal Health Law) (in Spanish, 40 pages)

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Distribution date: 02 August 2007

The Animal Health Law is enforceable throughout Mexican territory. Its aim is to establish the basis for the diagnosis, prevention, control and eradication of diseases and pests which affect animals; ensure animal welfare; regulate good livestock practices applicable in primary production and in "Federal Inspection Type" establishments which are dedicated to the slaughter of animals and the processing of products of animal origin for human consumption, in the case of the latter in coordination with the Ministry of Health, in accordance with each Ministry's sphere of competence; regulate establishments, products and the development of activities relating to animal health and the provision of veterinary services; and regulate chemical, pharmaceutical, biological and food products for animal use or consumption. The provisions of this Law are public policy and of social interest.

Products Covered: Animals

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Animal health Territory protection

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