[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 183 (Friday, September 21, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53984-53985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18718]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2007-0031]


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 (HHS) are 
sponsoring a public meeting on September 25, 2007. 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 29th 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 Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany on 
November 12-November 16, 2007. In addition, an Ad Hoc Working Group on 
the Revision of the Standard for Gluten-Free Foods will meet on 
November 10, 2007. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and FDA 
recognize the importance of providing interested parties the 
opportunity to obtain background information on the 29th Session of 
CCNFSDU and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 25, 2007, 
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 29th 
Session of the CCNFSDU will be accessible via the World Wide Web at the 
following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
    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 20, 2007:

:--Your Name.
--Organization.
--Mailing Address.
--Phone number.
--E-mail address.

    For Further Information About the 29th 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: Edith 
Kennard, Staff Officer, U.S. Codex Office, Food Safety and Inspection 
Service (FSIS), 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 (Codex) was established in 1963 by two 
United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization and 
the World Health Organization. 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 that fair 
practices are used 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 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

[[Page 53985]]

inclusion in Codex standards, guidelines, and related texts. The 
Committee is hosted by the Federal Republic of Germany.

Issues to be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 29th Session of the 
Committee 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 Gluten-Free Foods.
     Proposed Draft Revision of the Advisory List of Nutrient 
Compounds for Use in Foods for Special Dietary Uses Intended for Use by 
Infants and Young Children.
     Proposed Draft Recommendations on the Scientific Basis of 
Health Claims.
     Application of Risk Analysis Principles by the Committee 
on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses.
     Discussion Paper on the Proposals for Additional or 
Revised Nutrient Reference Values for Labelling Purposes.
     Discussion Paper on the Production and Processing 
Standards Regarding the Nutritional Quality and Safety of Foods.
     Discussion Paper on the Proposal for New Work to Amend the 
Codex General Principles for the Addition of Essential Nutrients.
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the German Secretariat prior to the Meeting. 
Members of the public may access copies of these documents at http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.

Public Meeting

    At the September 25, 2007, public meeting, draft U.S. positions on 
these agenda items will be described and 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 29th session of CCNFSDU, Dr. Barbara Schneeman, at 
[email protected]. Written comments should state that they relate to 
activities of the 29th 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 online through the FSIS Web page located 
at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/2007_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, 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 groups, 
consumer interest groups, health professionals, and other individuals 
who have asked to be included. The Update is also 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 electronic 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: September 18, 2007.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. E7-18718 Filed 9-20-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P