The Environmental Protection Agency said it received petitions to approve new uses for three pesticides containing currently registered active ingredients. Products covered by the petitions include a fungicide containing the active ingredient propiconazole; an insecticide with the active ingredient spirotetramat; an herbicide containing the active ingredient clomazone; a fungicide containing the active ingredient triflumizole; and an insecticide with the active ingredient quinoxyfen. Comments on the petitions are due April 5.
The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to extend until Aug. 18 its temporary tolerances for the insecticide tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) in several meat and poultry products. EPA said it’s taking this action on its own initiative. The temporary tolerances were established in 2008, and were renewed in 2011 until March 18, 2013. The agency said it needs more time to review information before making a final decision on tolerances for the insecticide. Comments are due March 12.
The Environmental Protection Agency set maximum tolerances for the pesticide fenpyrazamine in almond, almond hulls, pistachio, lettuce heads and leaves, caneberry, bushberry, the small fruit vine climbing subgroup (except kiwifuirt), grape juice, the low growing berry subgroup, and ginseng. The tolerances are effective March 6. Objections and requests for hearings are due May 6.
On March 6 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
The Food and Drug Administration is making technical amendments to its regulations on food and color additives. Changes include corrected misspellings of chemical names, a corrected table entry on the melting point of some nylon 2T resins, and amendments to several provisions to update office names and street addresses. The changes are effective March 7.
On March 5 the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The Food Safety and Inspection Service is giving manufacturers of non-ready-to-eat (NRTE) ground or otherwise comminuted chicken and turkey products an additional 45 days, until April 20, to reassess their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plans. FSIS originally ordered facilities to take another look at the plans in December, after several salmonella outbreaks tied to NRTE turkey products. The December notice also announced FSIS is expanding coverage of its Salmonella Verification Sampling Program for Raw Meat and Poultry product, which the agency now says will begin April 20. FSIS is also extending the comment period on the December notice until April 20.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service is removing sodium benzoate, sodium propionate, and benzoic acid from the list of substances prohibited for use in meat or poultry products. The substances will be allowed for use in meat and poultry products in limited quantities and under certain conditions. Under the FSIS final rule, which is effective May 6, use of these substances in or on meat or poultry products will continue to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration for safety and by FSIS for suitability. FDA will continue to establish parameters approved uses, and FSIS will list the approved uses in its table in Directive 7120.1, the final rule said.
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for March 6:
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website March 5, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at addcvd.cbp.gov. (CBP occasionally adds backdated messages without otherwise indicating which message was added. ITT will include a message date in parentheses in such cases.)