[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 77 (Monday, April 21, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21304-21305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8473]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2008-0012]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

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 Agricultural Marketing Service 
(AMS), USDA, are sponsoring a public meeting on April 25, 2008. 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 14th 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, from May 12-17, 
2008. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and AMS recognize the 
importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain 
background information on the 14th Session of the CCFFV and to address 
items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 25, 2008, at 
10 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 2068, USDA South 
Building, at 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250. 
Documents related to the 14th Session of the CCFFV will be accessible 
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
    The U.S. Delegate to the 14th Session of the CCFFV, Mr. Dorian 
LaFond, AMS, invites interested U.S. parties to submit their comments 
electronically to the following e-mail address: [email protected].
    Registration: You may register electronically to 
[email protected]. Early registration is encouraged because it 
will expedite entry into the building. Because the meeting will be held 
in a Federal building, you should also bring photo identification and 
plan for adequate time to pass through security screening systems.
    For Further Information About the 14th CCFFV Session Contact: Mr. 
Dorian LaFond, International Standards Coordinator, AMS, Fruit and 
Vegetable Programs, Stop 0235, 1400 Independence Ave, SW., Washington, 
DC 20250, Phone: (202) 690-4944, e-mail: [email protected].
    For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Syed Ali, 
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) 720-0574, 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 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 CCFFV elaborates world wide 
standards and codes of practice for fresh fruits and vegetables. The 
CCFFV is hosted by Mexico.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the agenda for the 14th CCFFV Session will 
be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters referred to the CCFFV from the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission and other Codex bodies.
     Matters arising from other international organizations on 
the Standardization of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.
     Proposed Layout for Codex Standards for Fresh Fruits and 
Vegetables.
     Draft Codex Standard for Tomatoes.

[[Page 21305]]

     Draft Sections 3--Provisions Concerning Sizing (Draft 
Standard for Tomatoes).
     Draft Codex Standard for Bitter Cassava.
     Draft Codex Guidelines for the Inspection and 
Certification of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Conformity to Quality 
Standards.
     Proposed Draft Codex Standard for Apples.
     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 Secretariat prior 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 April 25, 2008, public meeting, draft U.S. positions on the 
agenda items will be described and discussed, and attendees will have 
the opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. Written comments 
may be sent electronically to the U.S. Delegate for the 14th CCFFV 
Session, Dorian LaFond, at [email protected]. Written comments 
should state that they relate to activities of the 14th CCFFV Session.

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/2008_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 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 they have the option to password protect 
their accounts.

    Done at Washington, DC, on: April 15, 2008.
Paulo M. Almeida,
Acting U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. E8-8473 Filed 4-18-08; 8:45 am]
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