[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 156 (Friday, August 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50155-50157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-18499]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 04-022N]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice informs the public that the Office of the Under 
Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and 
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS), are sponsoring a public meeting on September 9, 
2004. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and 
receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States' 
positions that will be discussed at the 26th Session of the Codex 
Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) to 
be held in Bonn, Germany, November 1-5, 2004. The Under Secretary for 
Food Safety and FDA recognize the importance of providing interested 
parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 26th 
Session of CCNFSDU and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 9, 2004, 
from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in the Auditorium (1A003), 
Food and Drug Administration, Harvey Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint 
Branch Parkway, College Park, MD. To receive copies of the Codex 
documents pertaining to the agenda items for the 26th CCNFSDU session, 
contact the Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety 
and Inspection Service, 300 12th Street, SW., Room 102 Cotton Annex, 
Washington, DC 20250. The documents will also be accessible

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via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net. FSIS invites interested persons to submit 
comments on this notice. Comments may be submitted by any of the 
following methods:
     Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROM's, and hand- or 
courier-delivered items: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 300 12th Street, SW., 
Room 102 Cotton Annex, Washington, DC 20250.
    All submissions received must include the Agency name and docket 
number 04-022N.
     All comments submitted in response to this notice, as well 
as research and background information used by FSIS in developing this 
document, will be available for public inspection in the FSIS Docket 
Room at the address listed above between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday. The comments also will be posted on the Agency's 
Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRDockets.htm.
    The U.S. Delegate to the CCNFSDU, Dr. Barbara Schneeman of the Food 
and Drug Administration, also invites United States interested parties 
to submit their comments electronically to the following e-mail address 
([email protected]).
    Pre-Registration: To gain admittance to this meeting, individuals 
must present a photo ID for identification and also are required to 
pre-register. In addition, no cameras or videotaping equipment will be 
permitted in the meeting room. To pre-register, please send the 
following information to this e-mail address 
([email protected]) by September 1, 2004.

--Your Name;
--Organization;
--Mailing Address;
--Phone number;
--E-mail Address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Matten, Staff Officer, U.S. 
Codex Office, FSIS, Room 4861, South Agriculture Building, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250, telephone number (202) 
205-7760; fax (202) 720-3157. Persons requiring a sign language 
interpreter or other special accommodations should notify Ms. Matten 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 
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 implementations by 
governments, Codex seeks to ensure the world's food supply is sound, 
wholesome, free from adulteration, and correctly labeled.
    The Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses 
was established to study specific nutritional problems assigned to it 
by the Commission and advise the Commission on general nutritional 
issues; to draft general provisions as appropriate, concerning the 
nutritional aspects of all foods; to develop standards, guidelines or 
related texts for foods for special dietary uses, in cooperation with 
other committees when necessary; and to consider, amend if necessary, 
and endorse provisions on nutritional aspects proposed for inclusion in 
Codex standards, guidelines and related texts. The CCNFSDU is hosted by 
the Federal Republic of Germany.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    At a minimum, the following items will be on the Agenda for the 
26th Session of the Committee:
    1. Draft Revised Standard for Gluten-Free Foods (retained at Step 7 
until more data on tolerance levels of gluten are available).
    2. Guidelines for Use of Nutrition Claims: Draft Table of 
Conditions for Nutrient Contents (Part B, containing provisions on 
Dietary Fibre).
    3. Draft Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements.
    4. Draft Revised Standard for Processed Cereal-Based Foods for 
Infants and Young Children.
    5. Draft Revised Standard for Infant Formula.
    6. Proposed Draft Revision of the Advisory Lists of Nutrient 
Compounds for the Use in Foods for Special Dietary Uses intended for 
use by Infants and Young Children.
    7. Proposed Draft Recommendations of the Scientific Basis of Health 
Claims.
    8. Guidelines on the Application of Risk Analysis to the Work of 
CCNFSDU.
    9. Discussion Paper on the FAO Technical Workshop on Energy 
Conversion Factors.

    Note: The provisional agenda for the 26th CCNFSDU session will 
be posted on the World Wide Web in advance of the meeting at the 
following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net.

Public Meeting

    At the September 9th public meeting, the issues and draft United 
States positions on the issues 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). 
In addition, they may be sent electronically to the U.S. Delegate (see 
ADDRESSES). Please state that your comments relate to CCNFSDU 
activities (04-022N) and specify which issues your comments address.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that the 
public and in particular minorities, women, and persons with 
disabilities, are aware of this notice, FSIS will announce it on-line 
through the FSIS Web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. The 
Regulations.gov Web site is the central online rulemaking portal of the 
United States government. It is being offered as a public service to 
increase participation in the Federal government's regulatory 
activities. FSIS participates in Regulations.gov and will accept 
comments on documents published on the site. The site allows visitors 
to search by keyword or Department or Agency for rulemakings that allow 
for public comment. Each entry provides a quick link to a comment form 
so that visitors can type in their comments and submit them to FSIS. 
The Web site is located at http://www.regulations.gov.
    FSIS also will make copies of this Federal Register publication 
available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide 
information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal 
Register notices, FSIS public meetings, recalls, and other types of 
information that could affect or would be of interest to our 
constituents and stakeholders. The update is communicated via Listserv, 
a free e-mail subscription service consisting of industry, trade, and 
farm groups, consumer interest groups, allied health professionals, 
scientific professionals, and other individuals who have requested to 
be included. The update also is available on the FSIS Web page. Through 
Listserv and the Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a 
much broader, more diverse audience.


[[Page 50157]]


    Done in Washington, DC on August 9, 2004.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 04-18499 Filed 8-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P