[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 21 (Friday, January 31, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4982-4983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2306]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 03-002N]


Codex Alimentarius: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Residues of 
Veterinary Drugs in Foods

AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety.

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 Center for Veterinary Medicine 
(CVM), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are sponsoring a public 
meeting on Tuesday, February 18, 2003, to provide information and 
receive public comments on agenda items that will be discussed at the 
14th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in 
Foods (CCRVDF), which will be held in Washington, DC on March 4-7, 
2003. The Under Secretary and CVM recognize the importance of providing 
interested parties with information about CCRVDF of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission and of discussing items on the Agenda for the 
14th Session of the Committee.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 18, 2003 
from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 0161 of the South 
Building, Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC (Smithsonian 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 be accessible via the World Wide Web at the 
following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp. A link 
is provided there to the agenda.
    If you have comments, please send an original and two copies to the 
FSIS Docket Clerk and reference Docket Number 03-002N. All comments 
submitted will be available for public inspection in the Docket Clerk's 
Office between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edith E. Kennard, Staff Officer, U.S. 
Codex Office, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 4861, South 
Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250, Phone: 
(202) 720-5261, Fax: (202) 720-3157, e-mail: 
[email protected].

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 (EPA) manage and carry out U.S. Codex 
activities.
    The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods held 
its First Session in Washington, DC on 27-31 October, 1986. The 
Committee's Terms of Reference are:
    (a) To determine priorities for the consideration of residues of 
veterinary drugs in foods;
    (b) To recommend maximum levels of such substances;
    (c) To develop codes of practice as may be required;
    (d) To consider methods of sampling and analysis for the 
determination of veterinary drug residues in foods.
    The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods is 
hosted by the United States.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    Provisional agenda items to be discussed during the public meeting:

--Consideration of Draft Maximum Residue Limits for Veterinary Drugs;
--Proposed Draft Appendix on the Prevention and Control of Veterinary 
Drug Residues in Milk and Milk Products;
--Proposed Draft Code of Practice to Minimize and Contain Antimicrobial 
Resistance;

[[Page 4983]]

--Proposed Draft Revised Guidelines for the Establishment of a 
Regulatory Programme for the Control of Veterinary Drugs in Foods;
--Discussion Paper on Risk Analysis Principles and Methodologies, 
including Risk Assessment;
--Policies in the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in 
Foods;
--Discussion Paper on Residue Issues;
--Review of Performance-Based Criteria for Methods of Analysis;
--Consideration of the Identification of Routine Methods of Analysis;
--Consideration of the Priority List of Veterinary Drugs Requiring 
Evaluation or Re-evaluation.

Public Meeting

    At the February 18 public meeting, the agenda items will be 
described and 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 Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary 
Drugs in Foods.

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 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. FSIS provides a weekly FSIS Constituent Update, which is 
communicated via Listserv, a free e-mail subscription service. In 
addition, the update is available on line through the Internet 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 and stakeholders. The constituent Listserv consists of 
industry, trade, and farm groups, consumer interest groups, allied 
health professionals, scientific professionals, and other individuals 
who 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.htm. Click on the 
``Subscribe to the Constituent Update Listserv'' link, then fill out 
and submit the form.

    Done at Washington, DC, on January 28, 2003.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 03-2306 Filed 1-30-03; 8:45 am]
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