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Petition

A petition for rulemaking is a written request to issue, amend, or repeal a regulation administered by FSIS. A request to issue, amend, or repeal other FSIS policy documents, such as FSIS directives, notices, or industry guidelines, may also be submitted by petition. FSIS’s regulations governing the petition process are in 9 CFR part 392. These regulations contain instructions on how to submit a petition to FSIS and describe the types of information that may help FSIS to review a petition in a more efficient manner. The regulations also permit interested parties to submit comments on a petition.

All petitions for rulemaking or policy changes submitted to FSIS are posted on the FSIS website. Comments submitted on petitions are also posted. When submitting an electronic comment on a petition, members of the public should identify the petition number in the subject line. Other than first and last name, FSIS does not post personally identifiable information (PII), such as personal addresses, phone numbers, or e-mail addresses on its website. Therefore, persons interested in submitting a comment on a petition are encouraged not to include PII with their comments. If a comment on a petition includes PII, the Agency will remove such information before posting the comment.

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Amend Labeling Regulations to Require Third-Party Certification for Approval of Animal Welfare and Environmental Stewardship Claims

Petition Number 14-01

Petitioner Animal Welfare Institute

Submission Date May 01, 2014

Full Petition

14-01 Petition Submitted by AWI (May 2014)

Status Final Response Provided

Final Response Petition Denied

Petition Summary

The petition requests that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) amend its labeling regulations to require third-party certification for the approval of animal welfare and environmental stewardship claims in the labeling of meat and poultry products. The petition also requests that FSIS only approve animal welfare and environmental stewardship claims that have been certified by a third-party certifying organization, if the organization has established standards that exceed the conventional meat and poultry industry standards related to the claim.