FDA – Sodium Reduction – Comment Period Extension for Draft Guidance to Industry for Voluntarily Reducing Sodium

The FDA is extending the two comment periods for the Draft Guidance to Industry for Voluntarily Reducing Sodium.

• The comment period for issues primarily related to the draft short-term (2-year) sodium reduction targets will end on October 17, 2016.
• The comment period for issues primarily related to the draft long-term (10-year) sodium reduction targets will end on December 2, 2016.

The comment period for the draft sodium guidance opened on June 2, 2016. That notice originally provided a 90-day comment period requesting comments on Issues 1 to 4 (or issues mainly related to the 2-year draft targets) by August 31, 2016 and a 150-day comment period for Issues 5 to 8 (mainly on the 10-year targets) by October 31, 2016.

The FDA received eight requests from industry trade associations to extend both comment periods to provide a total of 180 days for comment on the short- and long-term targets and three requests from consumer and public health organizations for the comment period regarding the short-term targets to remain unchanged.

For more information:

Federal Register Notice: Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals: Target Mean and Upper Bound Concentrations for Sodium in Commercially Processed, Packaged, and Prepared Foods; Draft Guidance for Industry; Extension of Comment Periods

(Source: FDA website)