Daily News Update, Jan. 31, 2008

USDA reopens and extends comment period for proposed naturally raised marketing claim standard

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced that it is reopening and extending the comment period for the proposed voluntary standard for a naturally raised marketing claim for livestock and meat.

The Jan. 28, 2008, deadline has been extended to March 3, 2008.

The comment period is being changed because a number of interested producers, processors, and marketers requested additional time to evaluate the full impact of the requirements of the proposed standard in order to provide more meaningful and substantive comments.

"We are reopening and extending the comment period to ensure that all interested parties have the opportunity to submit comments," said AMS Administrator Lloyd Day. "We strongly encourage all interested parties to submit comments."

USDA published the proposed voluntary standard as a Notice and Request for Comments in the Nov. 28, 2007, Federal Register and is titled the U.S. Standards for Livestock and Meat Marketing Claims, Naturally Raised Claim for Livestock and the Meat and Meat Products Derived from such Livestock.

Details of the comment period extension will be published in the Jan. 31, 2008, Federal Register. Comments must be received on or before March 3, 2008, and should be submitted through the website: http://www.regulations.gov.

Written comments should be mailed to:

Naturally Raised Marketing Claim, Room 2607–S, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250–0254; or faxed to: 202/720–1112.

All comments should reference docket number LS-07-16.

The notice is available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/naturalclaim.htm, and printed copies can be requested by writing the Naturally Raised Marketing Claim office.