[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61847-61848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24978]


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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 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 2, 2002 / 
Notices  

[[Page 61847]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 02-035N]


Codex Alimentarius: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Import 
and Export Inspection and Certification Systems

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings, request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, United 
States Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are sponsoring two 
public meetings. The first meeting will be held on October 22, 2002, 1 
p.m. to 4 p.m. to review agenda items and receive comments in 
preparation for developing draft U.S. positions, and the second will be 
held on November 20, 2002, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to provide information and 
receive public comments on the U.S. draft positions for agenda items 
that will be discussed at the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export 
Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) which will be held in 
Adelaide, Australia, December 2-6, 2002. The Under Secretary and FDA 
recognize the importance of providing interested parties with 
information on the Eleventh Session of CCFICS and to address items on 
the Agenda.

DATES: The public meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, October 22, 2002 
from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday, November 20, 2002 from 1 p.m. to 3 
p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held in the Auditorium of the 
Harvey E. Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy, College Park, 
MD (green line College Park Metro stop).
    To receive copies of the documents referenced in the 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 become accessible 
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
    If you have comments, please send an original and two copies to the 
FSIS Docket Clerk and reference Docket  02-035N. 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Codex Alimentarius Commission 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. In the United States, USDA, FDA, and the 
Environmental Protection Agency manage and carry out U.S. Codex.
    The Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and 
Certification Systems was established to develop principles and 
guidelines for food import and export inspection and certification 
systems to facilitate trade through harmonization and to supply safe 
and quality foods to consumers. Included in the charge to the Committee 
is application of measures by competent authorities to provide 
assurances that foods comply with essential requirements. Recognition 
of quality assurance systems through the development of guidelines will 
help ensure that foods conform to the essential requirements. The 
Government of Australia is hosting this activity.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meetings

    The following issues will be discussed during the public meetings:
    [sbull] Proposed Draft Guidelines on the Judgement of Equivalence 
of Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection and Certification 
Systems.
    [sbull] Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Exchange of Information 
of Food Control Emergency Situations.
    [sbull] Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Utilization and Promotion 
of Quality Assurance Systems to meet Requirements in Relation to Food.
    [sbull] Traceability in the Context of Food Import and Export 
Inspection and Certification Systems.

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 make copies of this Federal Register 
publication available through the FSIS Constituent Update. FSIS 
provides a weekly Constituent Update, which is communicated via 
Listserv, a free e-mail subscription service. 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 Listserv 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 the Listserv and web page, FSIS is able to provide 
information to a much broader, more diverse audience.
    For more information contact the Congressional and Public Affairs 
Office, at (202) 720-9113. To be added to the free e-mail subscription 
service (Listserv) go to the ``Constituent Update'' page on the FSIS 
web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/update/update.htm. Click on the 
``Subscribe to

[[Page 61848]]

the Constituent Update Listserv'' link, then fill out and submit the 
form.

    Done at Washington, DC on September 26, 2002.
Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 02-24978 Filed 10-1-02; 8:45 am]
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