[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 162 (Tuesday, August 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48907-48909]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-13851]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2006-0023]


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

AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and 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 Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are sponsoring a 
public meeting on September 12, 2006. 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 
28th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special 
Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), 
which will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand on October 30-November 3, 
2006. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and FDA recognize the 
importance of providing interested parties with the opportunity to 
obtain background information on the 28th Session of the CCNFSDU and to 
address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 12, 2006 
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. Parking is adjacent to this building 
and will be available at no charge to individuals who pre-register by 
the date below (See Pre-Registration). In addition, the College Park 
metro station is across the street. Codex documents related to the 28th 
Session of the CCNFSDU 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.

[[Page 48908]]

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-2006-0023 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-2006-0023.
     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 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.
     In addition to submitting comments by mail to the above 
address, the U.S. Delegate to the CCNFSDU, Dr. Barbara Schneeman of the 
Food and Drug Administration, invites U.S. 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 5, 2006:
--Your name
--Organization
--Mailing address
--Phone number
--E-mail address

For Further Information About The 28th Session Of The CCNFSDU Contact: 
Nancy Crane, Assistant to the U.S. Delegate to the CCNFSDU, Office of 
Nutritional Products, Labeling and Dietary Supplements, Center for Food 
Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway (HFS-800), 
College Park, MD 20740; Phone: (301) 436-1450; Fax: (301) 436-2636. 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 Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250; 
Phone: (202) 205-7760; Fax: (202) 720-3157.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) was established in 1963 
by two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture 
Organization and the World Health Organization. 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 protect the health of 
consumers and ensure fair practices in trade.
    The Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses 
(CCNFSDU) was established to study specific nutritional problems 
assigned to it by Codex and advise Codex 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

    The following items on the Agenda for the 28th Session of the 
CCNFSDU will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters referred to the Committee from other Codex bodies.
     Guidelines for Use of Nutrition Claims: Draft Table of 
Conditions for Nutrient Contents: (Part B, containing provisions on 
Dietary Fibre).
     Draft Revised Standard for Infant Formula and Formulas for 
Special Medical Purposes Intended for Infants;

--Section A: Draft Revised Standard for Infant Formula
--Section B: Formulas for Special Medical Purposes Intended for Infants
--Proposals of the Working Group for the Section on Food Additives (for 
Sections A and B).

     Draft Revised Standard for Gluten-Free Foods.
     Proposed Draft Revision of the Advisory List of Nutrient 
Compounds for Use in Foods for Special Dietary Uses Intended for the 
Use by Infants and Young Children.
     Proposed Draft Recommendations on the Scientific Basis of 
Health Claims.
     Discussion Paper on the Proposals for Additional or 
Revised Nutrient Reference Values for Labelling Purposes.
     Discussion Paper on the Application of Risk Analysis to 
the Work of the CCNFSDU.
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the German Secretariat prior to the CCNFSDU. 
Members of the public may access copies of these documents via the 
World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.

Public Meeting

    At the September 12 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 28th 
Session of the CCNFSDU, Dr. Barbara Schneeman at [email protected]. 
Written comments should state that they relate to activities of the 
28th Session of the CCNFSDU.

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 
will also 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 professional and other 
individuals who

[[Page 48909]]

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/e-mail_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 August 17, 2006.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. E6-13851 Filed 8-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P