[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 179 (Thursday, September 16, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55793-55794]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20961]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 04-029N]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Ad Hoc 
Intergovernmental Task Force on Fruit and Vegetable Juices

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 Center for Food Safety and 
Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 
are sponsoring a public meeting on September 15, 2004, to provide 
information and receive public comments on agenda items that will be 
discussed at the Fourth Session of the Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental 
Task Force on Fruit and Vegetable Juices, which will be held in 
Fortaleza, Brazil, October 11-15, 2004. The Under Secretary and CFSAN 
recognize the importance of providing interested parties with 
information about the Intergovernmental Task Force on Fruit and 
Vegetable Juices of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and to address 
items on the Agenda for the 4th Session of the Task Force.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 15, 
2004 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 1B-042 of the FDA 
Harvey Wiley Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, 
Maryland. 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.
    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 04-029N.
    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.

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) 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 to facilitate fair international trade in 
food and protect 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 that the 
world's food supply is sound, wholesome, free from adulteration, and 
correctly labeled and packaged. In the United States, USDA, FDA, and 
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) manage and carry out U.S. 
Codex.

[[Page 55794]]

    The Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Fruit and 
Vegetable Juices was established by the 23rd Session of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission to revise and consolidate the existing Codex 
standards and guidelines for fruit and vegetable juices and related 
products; and revise and up-date the methods of analysis and sampling 
for these products. The ad hoc Task Force is chaired by Brazil.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The provisional agenda items to be discussed during the public 
meeting:
Consideration of Draft Codex Standards and Related Texts at Step 7
    (a) Draft Code General Standard for Fruit Juices and Nectars.
    (b) Draft Minimum Brix Level for Reconstituted Juice and 
Reconstituted Puree and Minimum Juice and/or Puree Content for Fruit 
Nectars--grape, guava, mandarine/tangerine, mango, passion fruit and 
tamarind juices.
Consideration of Proposed Draft Codex Standards and Related Texts at 
Step 4
    (a) Proposed Draft Minimum Brix Level for Reconstituted Juice and 
Reconstituted Puree and Minimum Juice and/or Puree Content for Fruit 
Nectars--lemon, lime, orange and pineapple juices.

Public Meeting

    At the September 15th 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 4th a0d hoc Task Force for Fruit and Vegetable Juices 
(04-029N).

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.
    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.

    Done at Washington, DC on: September 14, 2004.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 04-20961 Filed 9-14-04; 1:38 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P