[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1813-1815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-694]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 02-047N]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: 35th Session of the Codex 
Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting, request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, United 
States Department of Agriculture, and the Food And Drug Administration 
(FDA) are sponsoring a public meeting on January 30, 2003, to provide 
information and receive public comments on agenda items that will be 
discussed at the meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Additives and 
Contaminants (CCFAC), which will be held in Arusha, Tanzania, on March 
17-21, 2003. The Under Secretary and FDA recognize the importance of 
providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background 
information on the Thirty-fifth Session of the Additives and 
Contaminants Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) and 
to address items on the Agenda for the 35th CCFAC.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 30, 2003, 
from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in the Auditorium, Harvey W. 
Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, 
Maryland. 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 be accessible 
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/ccfac35/fa03_01e.htm. If you have comments, 
please send an original and two copies to the FSIS Docket Clerk and 
reference Docket  02-047N. 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: F. Edward Scarbrough, Ph.D., 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, Phone: (202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157. 
Attendees are requested to pre-register as soon as possible by e-mail 
to [email protected].

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 Additives and Contaminants establishes 
or endorses maximum or guideline levels for individual food additives, 
for contaminants (including environmental contaminants), and for 
naturally occurring toxicants in foodstuffs and animal feeds. In 
addition the Committee prepares priority lists of food additives and 
contaminants for toxicological evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert 
Committee on Food Additives; recommends specifications of identity and 
purity for food additives for adoption by the Commission; considers 
methods of analysis for the determination of food additives and 
contaminants in food; and considers and elaborates standards or codes 
for related subjects such as the labelling of food additives when sold 
as such, and food irradiation. The Committee is chaired by The 
Netherlands.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The provisional agenda items will be discussed during the public 
meeting:
    1. Adoption of the Agenda (CX/FAC 03/1).
    2. Matters referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and other 
Codex Committees (CX/FAC 03/2).
    3. Summary Report of the 59th Meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert 
Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).
    4. Action Required as a Result of Changes in ADI Status and other 
Toxicological Recommendations (CX/FAC 03/3).
    5. Comments Submitted on the Proposed Draft Risk Assessment Policy 
Statement for the Application of Risk Analysis Principles to the 
Standard Setting Activities of the CCFAC in Conjunction with the Risk 
Assessments Performed by the JECFA.

Food Additives

    6. Endorsement and/or Revision of Maximum Levels for Food Additives 
in Codex Standards (CX/FAC 03/5).
    7. Consideration of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives.
    (a) Report of the ad hoc Working Group on the Codex General 
Standard for Food Additives.
    (b) Proposed Draft Revised Preamble to the Codex General Standard 
for Food Additives (CX/FAC 03/6).

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    (c) Proposed Draft Revised Food Category System of the Codex 
General Standard for Food Additives (CX/FAC 03/7).
    (d) Comments Submitted on the Proposed Draft and Draft Revisions to 
Table 1 of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives in response to 
CL 2002/10-FAC and CL 2002/44-FAC.
    (e) Comments Submitted on the Draft Revisions to the Annex to Table 
3 of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives submitted in 
response to CL 2002/10-FAC.
    8. Comments Submitted on the Discussion Paper on Processing Aids 
and Carriers (CX/FAC 02/9) in response to CL 2002/10-FAC.
    9. Discussion Paper on the Use of Active Chlorine (CX/FAC 03/11).
    10. (a) Draft Revised Codex General Standard for Irradiated Foods 
(CX/FAC 03/12).
    (a) Consideration of a Revision or Amendments to the Guidelines 
Levels for Radionuclides in Foods Following Accidental Nuclear 
Contamination for Use in International Trade (CAC/GL 5-1989), including 
Guideline Levels for Radionuclides for Long-Term Use (CX/FAC 03/13).
    11. (a) Report of the ad hoc Working Group on Specifications.
    (b) Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives 
Arising from the 59th JECFA Meeting (CX/FAC 03/14).
    12. (a) Comments Submitted on Revisions to the International 
Numbering System in response to CL 2002/29-FAC.
    (b) Discussion Paper on the Harmonization of Terms Used by Codex 
and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives for Sub-
Classes and Technological Functions (CX/FAC 032/16).

Contaminants

    13. Endorsement and/or Revision of Maximum Levels for Contaminants 
in Codex Standards (CX/FAC 03/17).
    14. Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods.
    (a) Report of the ad hoc Working Group on Contaminants and Toxins.
    (b) Schedule 1 of the Proposed Draft Codex General Standard for 
Contaminants and Toxins in Foods. (CX/FAC 03/18).
    (c) Proposed Draft Principles for Exposure Assessment of 
Contaminants and Toxins in Foods (CX/FAC 03/19).
    15. Mycotoxins in Food and Feed.
    (a) Comments Submitted on the Proposed Draft Code of Practice for 
the Prevention of Patulin. Contamination in Apple Juice and Apple Juice 
Ingredients in Other Beverages in Response to CL 2002/29-FAC.
    (b) Comments Submitted on the Draft Maximum Level for Patulin in 
Apple Juice and Apple Juice Ingredients in Other Beverages in Response 
to CL 2002/10-FAC.
    (c) Comments Submitted on the Draft Code of Practice for the 
Prevention (Reduction) of Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals, Including 
Annexes on Ochratoxin A, Zearalenone, Fumonisin and Tricothecenes in 
response to CL 2002/29-FAC.
    (d) Discussion Paper on Aflatoxins in Tree Nuts, Including 
Information Submitted on Aflatoxin Contamination and Methods of 
Analysis for the Determination of Aflatoxin in Tree Nuts in response to 
CL 2002/10-FAC (CX/FAC 03/23).
    (e) Proposed Draft Code of Practice for the Reduction of Aflatoxin 
Contamination in Tree Nuts (CX/FAC 03/24).
    (f) Discussion Paper on the Development of a Code of Practice for 
the Reduction of Aflatoxin Contamination in Peanuts (CX/FAC 03/25).
    (g) Discussion Paper on Dexoynivalenol, Including Information and 
Data Submitted on the Occurrence of Deoxynivalenol in Cereals in 
Response to CL 2002/10-FAC (CX/FAC 02/29).
    16. Industrial and Environmental Contaminants in Foods
    (a) Comments Submitted on the Draft Maximum Levels for Lead in Fish 
in Response to CL 2002/10-FAC.
    (b) Comments Submitted on the Maximum Level for Lead in Milk and 
Milk Fat in Response to CL 2002/10-FAC.
    (c) Proposed Draft Code of Practice for the Prevention and 
Reduction of Lead in Food (CX.FAC 03/28).
    (d) Discussion Paper on Tin (CX/FAC 03/29).
    (e) Comments Submitted on the Proposed Draft Maximum Levels for Tin 
in Response to CL 2002/10-FAC.
    (f) Comments Submitted on the Proposed Draft Maximum Levels for 
Cadmium in Response to CL 2002/10-FAC.
    (g) Position Paper on Dioxins and Dioxin Like PCBs, including 
Informaiton Submitted on Actual Levels and Methods of Analysis for 
Dioxin and Dioxin-Like PCBs in Response to CL 2002/10-FAC (CX/FAC 03/
32).
    (h) Proposed Draft Code of Practice for Source Directed Measures to 
Reduce Dioxin and Dioxin Like PCB Contamination of Foods (CX/FAC 03/33)
    (i) Position Paper on Chloropropanols (CX/FAC 03/34).

General Issues

    17. Comments Submitted on the Priority List of Food Additives, 
Contaminants and Naturally Occurring Toxicants Proposed for Evaluation 
by JECFA in response to CL 2002/10-FAC (CX/FAC 02/30).
    18. Other Business and Future Work
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by The Netherlands' Secretariat to the Meeting. 
Members of the public may access or request copies of these documents 
(see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the January 30th 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 35th CCFAC and Docket  02-047N.

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


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    Done at Washington, DC on January 8, 2003.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 03-694 Filed 1-13-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P