[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 142 (Tuesday, July 25, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42075-42076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11787]


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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 
 appearing in this section.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 142 / Tuesday, July 25, 2006 / 
Notices  

[[Page 42075]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2006-0020]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: 13th Session of the Codex 
Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, 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 (USDA), and the Agricultural Marketing 
Service (AMS) are sponsoring a public meeting on August 3, 2006 to 
provide draft U.S. positions and receive public comments on agenda 
items that will be discussed at the 13th Session of the Codex Committee 
on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission (Codex), which will be held in Mexico City, Mexico, on 
September 25-29, 2006. The Under Secretary and AMS recognize the 
importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to comment 
on the agenda items that will be debated at this forthcoming Session of 
the CCFFV.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 3, 2006, 
from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 3074, USDA, South 
Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC. 
Documents related to the 13th Session of the CCFFV will be accessible 
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
    The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) invites interested 
persons to submit comments on this notice. Comments may be submitted by 
any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to 
type short comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or 
attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov 
and, in the ``Search for Open Regulations'' box, select ``Food Safety 
and Inspection Service'' from the agency drop-down menu, then click on 
``Submit.'' In the Docket ID column, select the FDMS Docket Number 
FSIS-2006-0020 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting 
and related materials available electronically.
    Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROM's, and hand- or courier-
delivered items: Send to FSIS Docket Room, Docket Clerk, USDA, FSIS, 
300 12th Street, SW., Room 102, Cotton Annex Building, Washington, DC 
20250.
    Electronic mail: [email protected].
    All submissions received must include the Agency name and docket 
number FSIS-2006-0020.
    All comments submitted in response to this notice, as well as 
research and background information used by FSIS in developing this 
document, will be posted to the regulations.gov Web site. The 
background information and comments also 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.

For Further Information About the 13th Session of the CCFFV Contact: 
U.S. Delegate, Dorian Lafond, International Standards Coordinator, 
Fruit and Vegetable Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250, Phone: (202) 690-
4944, Fax: (202) 720-0016, E-mail: [email protected].

For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Ellen Matten, 
International Issues Analyst, U.S. Codex Office, USDA, FSIS, Room 4861, 
South Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, 
DC 20250, Phone: (202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157. E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) was established in 1963 
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, The 
Food and Drug Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency 
manage and carry out U.S. Codex activities.
    The Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables elaborates world 
wide standards and codes of practice for fresh fruits and vegetables. 
It consults with the UN/ECE Working Party on Agricultural Quality 
Standards in the elaboration of world wide standards and codes of 
practice with particular regard to ensuring that there is no 
duplication of standards or codes of practice and that they follow the 
same broad format. The Committee also consults, as necessary, with 
other international organizations which are active in the area of 
standardization of fresh fruits and vegetables. The Committee is hosted 
by the government of Mexico.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the agenda for the 13th Session of CCFFV 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters referred to the Committee from other Codex bodies.
     Proposed Layout for Codex Standards for Fresh Fruits and 
Vegetables.
     Draft Codex Standard for Table Grapes (maturity 
requirements and list of small berry varieties).
     Draft Codex Standard for Tomatoes (provisions for sizing 
and size codes).
     Proposed Draft Codex Standard for Apples.
     Proposed Draft Standard for Bitter Cassava.
     Proposed Guidelines for the Quality Control of Fresh 
Fruits and Vegetables.
     Report on the need for partial or total revision of the 
Codex Standard for Avocado.

[[Page 42076]]

     Proposals for Amendments to the Priority List for the 
Standardization of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the Mexican Secretariat to the Meeting. 
Members of the public may access or request copies of these documents 
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.

Public Meeting

    At the August 3, 2006 public meeting, draft U.S. positions on these 
agenda items will be described, discussed, and attendees will have the 
opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. Written comments may 
be offered at the meeting or sent to the U.S. Delegate for the 13th 
Session of CCFFV, Dorian Lafond (see For Further Information About the 
13TH Session of the CCFFV Contact). Written comments should state that 
they relate to activities of the 13th Session of the CCFFV.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that 
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/regulations/2006_Notices_Index/. 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 constituents 
and stakeholders. The update is communicated via Listserv, a free 
electronic mail subscription service for industry, trade and farm 
groups, consumer interest groups, allied health professionals and other 
individuals who have asked to be included. The update is available on 
the FSIS Web page. Through the Listserv and Web page, FSIS is able to 
provide information to a much broader and more diverse audience. In 
addition, FSIS offers an e-mail subscription service which provides 
automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and 
information. This service is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_and_events/email_ subscription/. Options range from recalls to 
export information to regulations, directives and notices. Customers 
can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the option to 
password protect their account.

    Done at Washington, DC, on July 20, 2006.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. E6-11787 Filed 7-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P