[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 47 (Monday, March 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10885-10886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-5761]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 02-001N]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: 30th Session of the Codex 
Committee on Food Labelling

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting, 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), are sponsoring a public meeting on March 19, 2002, to provide 
information and receive public comments on agenda items that will be 
discussed at the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL), which will 
be held in Halifax, Canada on May 6-10, 2002. The Under Secretary and 
FDA recognize the importance of providing interested parties the 
opportunity to obtain background information on the Thirtieth Session 
of the Food Labelling Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
(Codex) and to address items on the Agenda for the 30th CCFL.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 19th, 2002, 
from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Auditorium, Harvey W. 
Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD. To 
receive copies of the documents referenced in the notice contact the 
FSIS

[[Page 10886]]

Docket Clerk, 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.codexalimentarius.net. If you have comments, please send an 
original and two copies to the FSIS Docket Room, Docket #02-001N. All 
comments submitted will be available for public inspection in the 
Docket Clerk's Office between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. F. Edward Scarbrough, U.S. Manager 
for Codex, U.S. Codex Office, FSIS Room 4861, South Building, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-3700, Phone: (202) 205-
7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157. Persons requiring a sign language 
interpreter or other special accommodations should notify Dr. F. Edward 
Scarbrough at the above telephone number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    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 
protecting the health and economic interests of consumers and 
encouraging fair international trade in food. 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. In the 
United States, USDA, FDA, and EPA manage and carry out U.S. Codex 
activities.
    The Codex Committee on Food Labeling drafts provision on labeling 
applicable to all foods; considers, amends if necessary, and endorses 
specific provisions on labeling of draft standards, codes of practice, 
and guidelines prepared by other Codex committees; studies specific 
labeling problems assigned to it by the Commission; and studies 
problems associated with the advertisement of food with particular 
reference to claims and misleading descriptions. The Committee is 
chaired by Canada.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The provisional agenda items will be discussed during the public 
meeting:
    1. Adoption of the Agenda.
    2. Matters referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and other 
Codex Committees.
    3. Consideration of Labelling Provisions in Draft Codex Standards.
    4. Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and 
Marketing of Organically Produced Foods: Proposed Draft Revised 
Sections: Section 5--Criteria and Annex Annex 2--Permitted Substances.
    5. (a) Draft Recommendations for the Labelling of Foods obtained 
through Certain Techniques of Genetic Modification/Genetic Engineering 
(Draft Amendment to the General Standard for the Labelling of 
Prepackaged Foods): Definitions.
    (b) Proposed Draft Recommendations for the Labelling of Foods 
obtained through Certain Techniques of Genetic Modification/Genetic 
Engineering (Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Labelling of Foods and 
Food Ingredients Obtained through Certain Techniques of Genetic 
Modification/Engineering): Labelling Provisions.
    6. Draft Amendment to the General Standard for the Labelling of 
Prepackaged Foods (Class names).
    7. Proposed Draft Amendment to the Guidelines on Nutrition 
Labelling (Section 3.2 Listing of Nutrients).
    8. Proposed Draft Recommendations for the Use of Health and 
Nutrition Claims.
    9. Proposed Draft Amendment to the General Standard for the 
Labelling of Prepackaged Foods: Quantitative Declaration of 
Ingredients.
    10. Discussion Paper on Country of Origin Labelling.
    11. Discussion Paper on Misleading Claims.
    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 request copies of these documents 
(see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the March 19th public meeting, the agenda items will be 
described, discussed, and attendees will have the opportunity to pose 
questions and offer comments. Comments may be sent to the FSIS Docket 
Room (see ADDRESSES). Written comments should state that they relate to 
activities of the 30th CCFL.

Additional Public Notification

    Pursuant to Departmental Regulation 4300-4, ``Civil Rights Impact 
Analysis,'' dated September 22, 1993, FSIS has considered the potential 
civil rights impact of this notice on minorities, women, and persons 
with disabilities. Therefore, to better ensure that these groups and 
others are made aware of this meeting, FSIS will announce it and 
provide copies of the Federal Register publication in the FSIS 
Constituent Update.
    The Agency 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 Agency 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, the 
Agency is able to provide information with a much broader, more diverse 
audience.
    For more information and to be added to the constituent fax list, 
fax your request to the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, at 
(202) 720-5704.

    Done at Washington, DC, on March 6, 2002.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 02-5761 Filed 3-8-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P