[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 183 (Friday, September 21, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53985-53986]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18719]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2007-0034]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: First Session of the Codex Ad Hoc 
Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, United 
States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA) are sponsoring a public meeting on September 24, 
2007, to discuss the agenda items coming before the First Session of 
the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial 
Resistance (AMR) and to present draft U.S. positions on the agenda 
items. The First Session on AMR will be held in Seoul, Korea, October 
23-26, 2007. The Under Secretary and FDA recognize the importance of 
providing interested parties the opportunity to comment on the agenda 
items that will be discussed at this forthcoming session on AMR.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 24, 2007, 
from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 107A Whitten 
Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC (Please enter 
USDA at the Whitten Building Entrance. If taking Metro, exit on the 
Mall side of the Smithsonian stop).
    Documents related to the First Session of the AMR Task Force will 
be accessible via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
    For Further Information About the First Session on AMR Contact: 
U.S. Delegate, Dr. David White, Director, National Antimicrobial 
Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), FDA, Center for Veterinary 
Medicine, Office of Research, 8401 Muirkirk Rd., Laurel, MD 20798, Tel: 
(301) 210-4181, 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 
(FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). 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 Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial 
Resistance was established by the 29th Session of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission in 2006. The Task Force is to develop science-
based guidance to assess the risks to human health associated with

[[Page 53986]]

the presence in food and feed (including aquaculture) of antimicrobial 
resistant microorganisms and antimicrobial resistance genes and the 
transmission through food and feed of antimicrobial resistant 
microorganisms and antimicrobial resistance genes. The Task Force is 
also to develop appropriate risk management advice based on that 
assessment to reduce such risk. The Task Force, which is hosted by the 
Republic of Korea, is to complete its work within four sessions.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the agenda for the First Session on AMR will 
be discussed during the September 24, 2007, public meeting:
     Matters Referred to the Committee from Other Codex Bodies.
     Review of the Work by FAO, WHO and the World Organisation 
for Animal health (OIE) on Antimicrobial Resistance.
     Consideration of the Elaboration of Standards, Guidelines 
or Other Texts on Antimicrobial Resistance (comments submitted in 
response to Circular Letter 2006/38-AMR).
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the Korean Secretariat 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 24, 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 on 
AMR, Dr. David White, at [email protected]. Written comments 
should state that they relate to activities of the First Session of the 
Task Force on AMR.

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 Listserv and the 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 17, 2007.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. E7-18719 Filed 9-20-07; 8:45 am]
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