WASHINGTON – The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has extended the comment deadline for its proposed rule on labeling mechanically tenderized beef (MTL) 60 days until October 8, 2013. This deadline was extended in response to requests to do so from the American Meat Institute and other associations.

More time had been requested for commenting by the AMI because the agency had asked for input on the proposed rule and the guidance plus numerous related issues.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended the comment periods on the proposed rules for Preventive Controls for Human Food and Produce Safety for 60 days until Nov.15, 2013. This marks the second extension of the comment period for these two rules mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

The deadlines were extended to give people an opportunity to consider the interrelationships between the two proposals, that were originally published on Jan. 16, 2013, and the two other new FSMA proposed rules that were published on July 29 – Foreign Supplier Verification Programs for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals and the Accreditation of Third-Party Auditors/Certification Bodies to Conduct Food Safety Audits and to Issue Certifications.