[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 13, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52705-52706]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20445]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 02-030N]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: 21st Session of the Codex 
Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting, request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, United 
States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Agricultural Marketing 
Service (AMS), are sponsoring a public meeting on August 13, 2002, to 
provide information and receive public comments on agenda items that 
will be discussed at the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and 
Vegetables (CCPFV), which will be held in San Antonio, Texas, on 
September 23-27, 2002. The Under Secretary and AMS recognize the 
importance of providing interested parties with information about the 
Processed Fruits and Vegetables Committee of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission (Codex) and to address items on the Agenda for the 21st 
CCPFV.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 13, 2002 
from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 3501 South Building, 
United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue

[[Page 52706]]

SW., Washington, DC. To receive copies of the documents referenced in 
this notice contact the FSIS 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/current.asp. If you have 
comments, please send an original and two copies to the FSIS Docket 
Clerk and reference Docket # 02-030N. 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. William James, Acting Director, 
U.S. Codex Office, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 4861, South 
Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250, Phone: 
(202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157. Persons requiring a sign language 
interpreter or other special accommodations should notify Dr. James at 
the above 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 the Environmental Protection Agency 
manage and carry out U.S. Codex.
    The Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables elaborates 
world wide standards for various processed fruits and vegetables, 
including certain dried and canned products. This committee does not 
cover standards for fruit and vegetable juices. The Commission has also 
allocated to this Committee the work of revision of standards for quick 
frozen fruits and vegetables. The Committee is chaired by the United 
States of America.

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 Codex Draft Revised Standards at Step 7
    Canned Bamboo Shoots
    Pickled Products
    Canned Stone Fruits
    Guidelines for Packing Media for Canned Fruits
    Aqueous Coconut Products
4. Consideration of Proposed Draft Codex Standards at Step 4
    (a.) Proposed Draft Code of Practice for the Processing and 
Handling of Quick Frozen Foods
    (b.) Proposed Draft Codex Standards for Processed Fruits and 
Vegetables
    Canned Citrus Fruits
    Ginseng
    Jams, Jellies and Marmalades
    Soy Sauce
    Canned Tomatoes
    Processed Tomato Concentrates
    Canned Vegetables
    Guidelines for Packing Media for Canned Vegetables
5. Methods of Analysis for Processed Fruits and Vegetables
6. Proposals for Amendments to the Priority List for the 
Standardization of Processed Fruits and Vegetables
7. Other Business and Future Work
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the United States' Secretariat to the Meeting. 
Members of the public may access or request copies of these documents 
(see ADDRESSES) .

Public Meeting

    At the August 13th 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 21st CCPFV (Docket # 02-030N).

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: August 8, 2002.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 02-20445 Filed 8-12-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P