[Federal Register: November 17, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 221)]
[Notices]
[Page 67348-67351]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17no04-62]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-2004-0361; FRL-7685-5]
Red Cabbage Color; Notice of Filing a Pesticide Petition to
Establish a Tolerance Exemption for a Certain Pesticide Chemical in or
on Food
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the initial filing of a pesticide
petition proposing the establishment of regulations for residues of a
certain pesticide chemical in or on various food commodities.
DATES: Comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number OPP-
2004-0361, must be received on or before December 17, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted electronically, by mail, or
through hand delivery/courier. Follow the detailed instructions as
provided in Unit I. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keri Grinstead, Registration Division
(7505C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency,
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone
number: (703) 308-8373; e-mail address:grinstead.keri@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this Action Apply to Me?
You may be potentially affected by this action if you are an
agricultural producer, food manufacturer, or pesticide manufacturer.
Potentially affected entities may include, but are not limited to:
Crop production (NAICS 111)
Animal production (NAICS 112)
Food manufacturing (NAICS 311)
Pesticide manufacturing (NAICS 32532)
This listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides
a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by this
action. Other types of entities not listed in this unit could also be
affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS)
codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining
whether this action might apply to certain entities. If you have any
questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular
entity, consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information?
1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this
action under docket ID number OPP-2004-0361. The official public docket
consists of the documents specifically referenced in this action, any
public comments received, and other information related to this action.
Although a part of the official docket, the public docket does not
include Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. The official public docket
is the collection of materials that is available for public viewing at
the Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Rm. 119,
Crystal Mall 2, 1801 S. Bell St., Arlington, VA. This docket
facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
excluding legal holidays. The docket telephone number is (703) 305-
5805.
2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document
electronically through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register''
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
An electronic version of the public docket is available through
EPA's
[[Page 67349]]
electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may use
EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view public
comments, access the index listing of the contents of the official
public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that
are available electronically. Although not all docket materials may be
available electronically, you may still access any of the publicly
available docket materials through the docket facility identified in
Unit I.B.1. Once in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the
appropriate docket ID number.
Certain types of information will not be placed in the EPA Dockets.
Information claimed as CBI and other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute, which is not included in the official public
docket, will not be available for public viewing in EPA's electronic
public docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material will not be
placed in EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only in
printed, paper form in the official public docket. To the extent
feasible, publicly available docket materials will be made available in
EPA's electronic public docket. When a document is selected from the
index list in EPA Dockets, the system will identify whether the
document is available for viewing in EPA's electronic public docket.
Although not all docket materials may be available electronically, you
may still access any of the publicly available docket materials through
the docket facility identified in Unit I.B. EPA intends to work towards
providing electronic access to all of the publicly available docket
materials through EPA's electronic public docket.
For public commenters, it is important to note that EPA's policy is
that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper,
will be made available for public viewing in EPA's electronic public
docket as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment
contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment
containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that
material in the version of the comment that is placed in EPA's
electronic public docket. The entire printed comment, including the
copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket.
Public comments submitted on computer disks that are mailed or
delivered to the docket will be transferred to EPA's electronic public
docket. Public comments that are mailed or delivered to the docket will
be scanned and placed in EPA's electronic public docket. Where
practical, physical objects will be photographed, and the photograph
will be placed in EPA's electronic public docket along with a brief
description written by the docket staff.
C. How and To Whom Do I Submit Comments?
You may submit comments electronically, by mail, or through hand
delivery/courier. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the
appropriate docket ID number in the subject line on the first page of
your comment. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the
specified comment period. Comments received after the close of the
comment period will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not required to consider
these late comments. If you wish to submit CBI or information that is
otherwise protected by statute, please follow the instructions in Unit
I.D. Do not use EPA Dockets or e-mail to submit CBI or information
protected by statute.
1. Electronically. If you submit an electronic comment as
prescribed in this unit, EPA recommends that you include your name,
mailing address, and an e-mail address or other contact information in
the body of your comment. Also include this contact information on the
outside of any disk or CD ROM you submit, and in any cover letter
accompanying the disk or CD ROM. This ensures that you can be
identified as the submitter of the comment and allows EPA to contact
you in case EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties
or needs further information on the substance of your comment. EPA's
policy is that EPA will not edit your comment, and any identifying or
contact information provided in the body of a comment will be included
as part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket,
and made available in EPA's electronic public docket. If EPA cannot
read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you
for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.
i. EPA Dockets. Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to
submit comments to EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for
receiving comments. Go directly to EPA Dockets athttp://www.epa.gov/edocket/
, and follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Once in the system, select ``search,'' and then key in docket ID number
OPP-2004-0361. The system is an ``anonymous access'' system, which
means EPA will not know your identity, e-mail address, or other contact
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment.
ii. E-mail. Comments may be sent by e-mail to opp-docket@epa.gov,
Attention: Docket ID Number OPP-2004-0361. In contrast to EPA's
electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail system is not an ``anonymous
access'' system. If you send an e-mail comment directly to the docket
without going through EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail
system automatically captures your e-mail address. E-mail addresses
that are automatically captured by EPA's e-mail system are included as
part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket, and
made available in EPA's electronic public docket.
iii. Disk or CD ROM. You may submit comments on a disk or CD ROM
that you mail to the mailing address identified in Unit I.C.2. These
electronic submissions will be accepted in WordPerfect or ASCII file
format. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption.
2. By mail. Send your comments to: Public Information and Records
Integrity Branch (PIRIB) (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP),
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001, Attention: Docket ID Number OPP-2004-0361.
3. By hand delivery or courier. Deliver your comments to: Public
Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Office of Pesticide
Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall
2, 1801 S. Bell St., Arlington, VA, Attention: Docket ID
Number OPP-2004-0361. Such deliveries are only accepted during the
docket's normal hours of operation as identified in Unit I.B.1.
D. How Should I Submit CBI to the Agency?
Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI
electronically through EPA's electronic public docket or by e-mail. You
may claim information that you submit to EPA as CBI by marking any part
or all of that information as CBI (if you submit CBI on disk or CD ROM,
mark the outside of the disk or CD ROM as CBI and then identify
electronically within the disk or CD ROM the specific information that
is CBI). Information so marked will not be disclosed except in
accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes
any information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that does not
contain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion
in the public
[[Page 67350]]
docket and EPA's electronic public docket. If you submit the copy that
does not contain CBI on disk or CD ROM, mark the outside of the disk or
CD ROM clearly that it does not contain CBI. Information not marked as
CBI will be included in the public docket and EPA's electronic public
docket without prior notice. If you have any questions about CBI or the
procedures for claiming CBI, please consult the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
E. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your
comments:
1. Explain your views as clearly as possible.
2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used
that support your views.
4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this
notice.
7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal
Register citation.
II. What Action is the Agency Taking?
EPA has received a pesticide petition as follows proposing the
establishment and/or amendment of regulations for residues of a certain
pesticide chemical in or on various food commodities under section 408
of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), 21 U.S.C. 346a.
EPA has determined that this petition contains data or information
regarding the elements set forth in FFDCA section 408(d)(2); however,
EPA has not fully evaluated the sufficiency of the submitted data at
this time or whether the data support granting of the petition.
Additional data may be needed before EPA rules on the petition.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Agricultural commodities, Feed additives,
Food additives, Pesticides and pests, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
Dated: November 4, 2004.
Lois Rossi,
Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
Summary of Petition
The petitioner summary of the pesticide petition is printed below
as required by FFDCA section 408(d)(3). The summary of the petition was
prepared by the petitioner and represents the view of the petitioner.
The petition summary announces the availability of a description of the
analytical methods available to EPA for the detection and measurement
of the pesticide chemical residues or an explanation of why no such
method is needed.
Colarome Inc.
PP 4E6851
EPA has received a pesticide petition (4E6851) from Colarome Inc.,
5132 Bombardier Street, St. Hubert (Quebec), Canada J3Z1H1 proposing,
pursuant to section 408(d) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
(FFDCA), 21 U.S.C. 346a(d), to amend 40 CFR part 180, to establish an
exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for Red Cabbage Color
when used as an inert ingredient (visual pH indicator) in pesticide
formulations applied to growing crops or raw agricultural commodities
after harvest (Sec. 180.910), animals (Sec. 180.930) and,
antimicrobial formulations (food-contact surface sanitizing solutions;
Sec. 180.940a). EPA has determined that the petition contains data or
information regarding the elements set forth in section 408(d)(2) of
the FFDCA; however, EPA has not fully evaluated the sufficiency of the
submitted data at this time or whether the data supports granting of
the petition. Additional data may be needed before EPA rules on the
petition.
Colarome believes that the information described below is adequate
to ascertain the toxicology and characterize the risk associated with
the use of red cabbage color as an inert ingredient in pesticide
formulations applied to growing crops and raw agricultural commodities
after harvest, animals and antimicrobial formulations (food-contact
surface sanitizing solutions).
1. Intended use of the red cabbage color concentrate: The red
cabbage color will be used as an inert ingredient (visual pH indicator)
in pesticide formulations applied to growing crops and raw agricultural
commodities after harvest. It is manufactured as a concentrate with a
minimal color value of 1,600 absorbency units (determined by
spectrophotometry at 535 nm after the appropriate dilution in McIlvaine
buffer at pH 3.0). The recommended usage level of the red cabbage color
concentrate is less than 1%, i.e., less than 16 absorbency units. The
red cabbage color concentrate contains diluents to ensure stability of
the color principles and to prevent microbial spoilage. All
formulations contain 2% citric acid and 18% of propylene glycol or
glycerine or ethyl alcohol depending on user preference.
2. Technical background information: The coloring principles of red
cabbage heads belong to a class of plant pigments called anthocyanins.
Anthocyanins are almost ubiquitous in the plant kingdom, being
responsible for most of the red, blue and purple colors of fruits,
flowers and vegetables. It is a very diverse class of molecules with
over 300 structures having been identified to date. The anthocyanin
molecule consists of two or three portions: a flavilium nucleus (the
chromophore), a group of sugars and, sometimes, a group of acyl acids.
In red cabbage heads, the flavilium nucleus of anthocyanins is
cyanidin. Most contain two sugar moieties, i.e., glucose or sophorose
in position 3 of cyanidin and glucose in position 5 of cyanidin. A
substantial proportion of red cabbage anthocyanins possess a sugar
moiety in position 3 which is acylated with one or two acyl radicals.
The large proportion of mono- and di-acylated anthocyanins of red
cabbage is responsible for the exceptionally-high shelf stability and
for providing a wide array of hues depending on the pH from pinkish red
at acidic pH to blue at neutral pH. More information on red cabbage
color is publicly available at http://www.colarome.com. Owing to their unique
properties, red cabbage anthocyanins can serve as a visual pH indicator
of natural origin for various plant-applied products.
3. Safety: Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) is a common vegetable
which is eaten safely as fresh, cooked, marinated in vinegar (cole
slaw) or fermented (sauerkraut). The red cabbage color concentrate to
be utilized as a visual pH indicator, is obtained from fresh, edible
heads and is manufactured under conditions which minimize the
alteration of cabbage components and which prevent microbial spoilage.
The stability of the red cabbage color concentrate has been
demonstrated for periods of more than 2 years in a cold room.
Results of microbiological analysis are:
Total aerobic count / grams (g): < 50 Colony Forming Units
(CFU)
[[Page 67351]]
Yeasts / g: < 10 CFU
Molds / g: < 10 CFU
Coliforms / g most probable number (MPN): < 3 CFU
E. coli / g (MPN): < 3 CFU
Staphylococcus aureus / 10 g: < 10 CFU
Salmonella / 25 g: absent
The recommended usage level of the red cabbage color as a visual pH
indicator is less than 1%. The color value of a 1% solution of the red
cabbage color is 16 absorbency units (determined by spectrophotometry
at 535 nm after dilution in McIlvaine buffer at pH 3.0). Here, the
color principles (and other red cabbage components) are less than those
which are typically contained in an unprocessed red cabbage juice.
At a 1% usage level of the red cabbage color concentrate, the level
of solvents and citric acid that are contained in the color concentrate
are in line with current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) for foods.
In particular, propylene glycol is at a level or 0.18%, i.e., more than
10-fold lower than the level set by cGMP for foods other than alcoholic
beverages, confectionery and frostings, seasoning and flavouring, nuts
and nut products for which higher levels are permitted.
[FR Doc. 04-25502 Filed 11-16-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S