[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 160 (Thursday, August 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42048-42049]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20033]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2009-0023]


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

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 Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are 
sponsoring a public meeting on October 8, 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 31st 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 D[uuml]sseldorf, Germany on November 2-
November 6, 2009. In addition, a working group will meet on October 
31st on the Development of Nutrient Reference Values for Nutrients 
Associated with Increased or Decreased Risk of Non-communicable 
Diseases. The Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety and FDA recognize 
the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to 
obtain background information on the 31st Session of the CCNFSDU and to 
address items on the agenda.

[[Page 42049]]


DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 8, 2009, 
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 20740. 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 31st 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 October 1st, 2009:

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

    For Further Information about the 31st Session of the CCNFSDU 
Contact: Nancy Crane, Assistant to the U.S. Delegate to the CCNFSDU, 
Office of Nutrition, Labeling and Dietary Supplements, Center for Food 
Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway (HFS-830), 
College Park, MD 20740, Phone: (301) 436-1450, Fax: (301) 436-2636, 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 (FSIS), Room 4861, South Building, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250, Phone: (202) 720-4063, 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 CCNFSDU was established to study specific nutritional problems 
assigned to it by the Codex and advise the 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 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 31st Session of the 
Committee will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters Referred to the Committee from Other Codex Bodies.
     List of Methods for Dietary Fiber.
     Proposed Draft Additional or Revised Nutrient Reference 
Values for Labeling Purposes in the Codex Guidelines on Nutrition 
Labeling.
     Proposal for New Work to Amend the Codex General 
Principles for the Addition of Essential Nutrients to Foods (Revised).
     Proposal for New Work to Establish a Standard for 
Processed Cereal-Based Foods for Underweight Infants and Young Children 
(Revised).
     Proposal to Revise the Codex Guidelines on Formulated 
Supplementary Foods for Older Infants and Young Children (Revised).
     Discussion Paper on Nutrient Reference Values for 
Nutrients Associated with Risk of Noncommunicable Diseases.
    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 at http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.

Public Meeting

    At the October 8, 2009, 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 31st Session of the CCNFSDU, Dr. Barbara Schneeman, at 
[email protected]. Written comments should state that they relate to 
activities of the 31st 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/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 FSIS Constituent 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 FSIS Constituent 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 accounts.

    Done at Washington, DC on August 17, 2009.
Barbara McNiff,
Acting U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. E9-20033 Filed 8-19-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P