[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 11, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40162-40163]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-19117]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2009-0025]


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

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Agricultural Marketing 
Service (AMS), Fruit and Vegetable Programs, USDA, are sponsoring a 
public meeting on September 17, 2009. 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 
15th Session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables 
(CCFFV) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). The Acting Under 
Secretary for Food Safety and AMS recognize the importance of providing 
interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on 
the 15th Session of the CCFFV and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 17, 
2009, at 10 a.m. to 12 p.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 15th CCFFV Session will be accessible via the 
World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
    The U.S. Delegate to the 15th Session of the CCFFV invites 
interested U.S. parties to submit their comments electronically to the 
following e-mail address [email protected].
    For Further Information About the 15th CCFFV Session Contact: 
Dorian LaFond, International Standards Coordinator, AMS Fruit and 
Vegetable Programs, Stop 0235, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, 
DC 20250, Telephone: (202) 690-4944, E-mail: [email protected].
    For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Doreen 
Chen-Moulec, Staff Officer, U.S. Codex Office, Food Safety and 
Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250, Telephone: (202) 205-7760, 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 CCFFV is hosted by Mexico.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 15th CCFFV Session will 
be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters Arising from the Codex Alimentarius Commission and 
other Codex Committees;
     Matters Arising from other International Organizations on 
the Standardization of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables;
     United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) 
Standards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: (i) UNECE Standard for 
Apples (FFV-50); (ii) UNECE Standard for Avocados (FFV-42);
     Draft Section 6 ``Marking or Labeling'' (Draft Standard 
for Bitter Cassava);
     Draft Standard for Apples;
     Proposed Draft Standard for Avocado (revision) (N19-2008);
     Proposed Draft Standard for Chili Peppers (N17-2008);
     Proposed Draft Standard for Tree Tomato (N18-2008);
     Layout for Codex Standards for Fresh Fruits and 
Vegetables;
     Proposed Layout for Codex Standards for Fresh Fruits and 
Vegetables--Comments in Response to CL 2008/13-FFV;
     Glossary of Terms used in the Proposed Layout for Codex 
Standards on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables;
     Proposals for Amendments to the Priority List for the 
Standardization of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables--CL 2008/13-FFV.
    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 copies of these documents via the World Wide 
Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.

Public Meeting

    At the September 17, 2009 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 offered at the meeting or sent to the U.S. Delegate for 
the 15th CCFFV Session, Dorian LaFond (see ADDRESSES). Written comments 
should state that they relate to activities of the 15th 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/2009_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.

[[Page 40163]]

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 
accounts.

    Done at Washington, DC, on August 5, 2009.
Karen Stuck,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. E9-19117 Filed 8-10-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P