[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3600-3601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1145]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2010-0045]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Food Additives

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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, are sponsoring a 
public meeting on February 22, 2011. The objective of the public 
meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda 
items and draft United States (U.S.) positions that will be discussed 
at the 43rd Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) of 
the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held in Xiamen 
(Fujian Province), China, March 14-18, 2011. The Under Secretary for 
Food Safety and FDA recognize the importance of providing interested 
parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 43rd 
Session of the CCFA and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 22, 2011, 
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in The Auditorium (1A003), 
FDA, Harvey Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College 
Park, MD 20740.
    Documents related to the 43rd Session of the CCFA will be 
accessible via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
    Dennis Keefe, U.S. Delegate to the 43rd Session of the CCFA, and 
FDA invite U.S. interested parties to submit their comments 
electronically to the following e-mail address: [email protected].
    Registration: Attendees may register electronically at the same e-
mail address provided above by February 18, 2011. Early registration is 
encouraged because it will expedite entry into the building and its 
parking area. If you require parking, please include the vehicle make 
and tag number when you register. 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. Attendees 
who are not able to attend the meeting in-person but wish to 
participate may do so by phone. Those wishing to participate by phone 
should request the call-in number and conference code when they 
register for the meeting.

For Further Information about the 43RD Session Of The CCFA Contact: 
Dennis M. Keefe, PhD, Director, Senior Science and Policy Staff, Office 
of Food Additive Safety, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition 
(CFSAN)/FDA, HFS-205, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 
20740, Telephone: (301) 436-1200, Fax: (301) 436-2972, e-mail: 
[email protected].

For Further Information about the Public Meeting Contact: Jannavi R. 
Srinivasan, PhD, Chemistry Reviewer, Division of Biotech and GRAS 
Notice Review, Office of Food Additive Safety, CFSAN/FDA, HFS-255, 5100 
Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740, Telephone: (301) 436-
1199, Fax: (301) 436-2965, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    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 CCFA establishes or endorses permitted maximum levels for 
individual additives; prepares priority lists of food additives for 
risk assessment by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives 
(JECFA); assigns functional classes to individual food additives; 
recommends specifications of identity and purity for food additives for 
adoption by Codex; considers methods of analysis for the determination 
of additives in food; and considers and elaborates standards or codes 
for related subjects, such as labeling of food additives when sold as 
such.
    The Committee is hosted by China.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the agenda for the 43rd Session of the CCFA 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters referred by Codex and other Codex committees and 
task forces.
     Matters of interest arising from FAO/WHO and from the 73rd 
Meeting of the JECFA.
     Endorsement and revision of maximum levels for food 
additives and processing aids in Codex standards.
     Discussion paper on food additive provisions in the 
Standard for infant formulas and formula for special medical purposes 
(CODEX STAN 72-1981).
     Discussion paper on the alignment of the food additive 
provisions of the standards for meat products and

[[Page 3601]]

relevant provisions of the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA).
     Draft and proposed draft food additive provisions of the 
GSFA.
     Proposed draft food additives provisions (new and 
revised).
     Comments and information on several food additives 
(replies to CL 2010/7-FA, Part B and CL 2010/39-FA).
     Provisions for aluminum-containing food additives.
     Proposed draft revision of the food category system (food 
categories 5.1, 5.2 and 5.4) (N07-2010).
     Revision of the name and descriptors of food category 
16.0.
     Discussion paper on use of Note 161.
     Discussion paper on the revision of Section 4 ``Carry-over 
of food additives into food'' of the Preamble of the GSFA.
     Proposed draft revision of the Codex Standard for Food 
Grade Salt (CODEX STAN 150-1985) (N08-2010).
     Proposals for changes and addition to the International 
Numbering System for Food Additives.
     Specifications for the identity and purity of food 
additives arising from the 73rd JECFA.
     Proposals for additions and changes to the priority list 
of food additives proposed for evaluation by the JECFA (replies to CL 
2010/10-FA).
     Discussion paper on mechanisms for re-evaluation of 
substances by the JECFA.
     Discussion paper on development of a database on 
processing aids.
    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 (see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the February 22, 2011, 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 43rd Session of the CCFA, Dr. Dennis Keefe (see ADDRESSES). Written 
comments should state that they relate to activities of the 43rd 
session of the CCFA.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

    USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on 
the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, 
disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or 
family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, 
etc.) should contact USDA's Target Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and 
TTY).
    To file a written complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office 
of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TTY). 
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that the 
public and in particular minorities, women, and persons with 
disabilities, are aware of this notice, FSIS will announce it on-line 
through the FSIS Web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Federal_Register_Notices/index.asp.
    FSIS also will 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 our constituents and 
stakeholders. The Update is communicated via Listserv, a free e-mail 
subscription service consisting of industry, trade, and farm groups, 
consumer interest groups, allied health professionals, scientific 
professionals, and other individuals who have requested to be included. 
The Update also is available on the FSIS Web page. Through Listserv and 
the Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, 
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_&_Events/Email_Subscription/.
    Options range from recalls, export information, 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 January 12, 2011.
Karen Stuck,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2011-1145 Filed 1-19-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P