[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 42 (Friday, March 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13037-13038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-5036]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 42 / Friday, March 2, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 13037]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 01-006N]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: 29th Session of the Codex 
Committee on Food Labelling

AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are 
sponsoring two public meetings, on Friday, March 16, 2001, and one on 
Wednesday, April 11, 2001. The purpose of this meeting is to provide 
information and receive public comments on agenda items that will be 
discussed at the 29th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling 
(CCFL), which will be held in Ottawa, Canada, April 30 to May 4, 2001. 
The Under Secretary and FDA recognize the importance of providing 
interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on 
the 29th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling and address 
items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meetings are scheduled for Friday, March 16, 2001 
from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Wednesday, April 11, 2001 from 2:00 
p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held in Room 1813, Federal 
Office Building 8, Food and Drug Administration, 200 C. St. SW., 
Washington, DC 20204. To receive copies of the documents referenced in 
this notice, contact the FSIS Docket Room, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102 Cotton Annex, 
300 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3700. The documents will 
also be accessible via the World Wide Web at the following address: 
http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/ECONOMIC/esn/codex/ccfl29/fl01_01e.htm. Submit one original and two copies of written comments to 
the FSIS Docket Room at the address above and reference docket number 
01-006N. All comments submitted in response to this notice will be 
available for public inspection in the FSIS Docket Room between 8:30 
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick J. Clerkin, Associate U.S. 
Manager for Codex, U.S. Codex Office, Food Safety and Inspection 
Service, Room 4861, South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20250. Telephone (202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) was established in 1962 
by two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture 
Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Codex is 
the major international organization for encouraging fair international 
trade in food and protecting the health and economic interests of 
consumers. Through adoption of food standards, codes of practice, and 
other guidelines developed by its committees, and by promoting their 
adoption and implementation by governments, Codex seeks to ensure that 
the world's food supply is sound, wholesome, free from adulteration, 
and correctly labeled.
    The Codex Committee on Food Labelling drafts provisions on 
labelling applicable to all foods; considers and endorses draft 
specific provisions on labelling prepared by the Codex Committees 
drafting standards, codes of practice, and guidelines; studies problems 
associated with the advertisement of food with particular reference to 
claims and misleading descriptions; and responds to specific labeling 
problems assigned to it by the Commission. The Committee is chaired by 
Canada.

Issues To Be Discussed at the First Public Meeting

    The provisional agenda items to be discussed during the public 
meeting on March 16, 2001:

1. Matters Referred from other Codex Committees
2. Consideration of Labelling Provisions in Draft Codex Standards
3. Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing 
of Organically Produced Foods:
    (a) Sections on Bees and on Additives
    (b) Proposed Draft Amendment: Table 1: Substances for Use in Soil 
Fertilizing and Conditioning
4. Draft Amendment to the General Standard for the Labelling of 
Prepackaged Foods (Class Names)
5. Proposed Draft Amendment to the Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling 
(Section 3.2 Listing of Nutrients)
6. Proposed Draft Recommendations for the Use of Health Claims
7. Proposed Draft Amendment to the General Standard for the Labelling 
of Prepackaged Foods: Quantitative Declaration of Ingredients
8. Discussion Paper on Country of Origin Labeling

Issues To Be Discussed at the Second Public Meeting

    The provisional agenda items to be discussed during the public 
meeting on April 11, 2001:

1. Draft Recommendations for the Labelling of Foods obtained through 
Certain Techniques of Genetic Modification/Genetic Engineering 
(Proposed Draft Amendment to the General Standard for the Labelling of 
Prepackaged Foods): Definitions
2. Draft Recommendations for the Labelling of Foods obtained through 
Certain Techniques of Genetic Modification/Genetic Engineering 
(Proposed Draft Amendment to the General Standard for the Labelling of 
Prepackaged Foods): Section 5--Additional Mandatory Labelling
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the Canadian Secretariat to the Meeting. 
Members of the public may access or review copies of these documents 
(see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the March 16th public meeting, the CCFL agenda items other than 
those pertaining to Labelling of Foods

[[Page 13038]]

obtained through Certain Techniques of Genetic Modification/Genetic 
Engineering will be described, discussed, and attendees will have the 
opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. At the April 11th 
public meeting, the agenda items pertaining to Labelling of Foods 
obtained through Certain Techniques of Genetic Modification/Genetic 
Engineering will be described, discussed, and attendees will have the 
opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. Written comments 
should state that they relate to activities of the 29th CCFL.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to better ensure 
that minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this 
notice, FSIS will announce it and provide copies of this Federal 
Register publication in the FSIS Constituent Update. FSIS provides a 
weekly FSIS Constituent Update, which is communicated via fax to over 
300 organizations and individuals. In addition, the update is available 
on-line through the FSIS web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. 
The update is used to provide information regarding FSIS policies, 
procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS public 
meetings, recalls, and any other types of information that could affect 
or would be of interest to our constituents/stakeholders. The 
constituent fax list consists of industry, trade, and farm groups, 
consumer interest groups, allied health professionals, scientific 
professionals, and other individuals that have requested to be 
included. Through these various channels, FSIS is able to provide 
information to a much broader, more diverse audience. For more 
information and to be added to the constituent fax list, fax your 
request to the Congressional and Public Affairs Office, at (202) 720-
5704.

    Done at Washington, DC on February 6, 2001.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 01-5036 Filed 3-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P