[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 63 (Friday, April 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18150-18151]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7646]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2011-0006]


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

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 Fruit and Vegetable Programs 
of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), are sponsoring a 
public meeting on April 5, 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 16th 
session of the CCFFV of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), 
which will be held in Mexico City, Mexico from May 2-6, 2011. The Under 
Secretary for Food Safety and AMS recognize the importance of providing 
interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on 
the 16th Session of the CCFFV and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for April 5, 2011, from 10:30 
a.m. to 12 noon.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at USDA, South Building, 
1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 2068, Washington, DC 20250. 
Documents related to the 16th session of the CCFFV will be accessible 
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
    Dorian Lafond, U.S. Delegate to the 16th session of the CCFFV, 
invites interested U.S. parties to submit their comments electronically 
to the following e-mail address: [email protected].
    Call-In Number:

[[Page 18151]]

    If you wish to participate in the public meeting for the 16th 
session of the CCFFV by conference call, please use the call-in number 
and participant code listed below:
    Call-in Number: 1-866-692-3158
    Participant code: 5986642
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION About the 16th Session of the CCFFV 
Contact:
     Dorian Lafond, International Standards Coordinator, Fruit and 
Vegetable Programs, Office of the Administrator, AMS, USDA, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250, phone: (202) 690-4944 
fax: (202) 720-4722, e-mail: [email protected].
    For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Kenneth 
Lowery, US Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 4861, 
Washington, DC 20250, phone: (202) 690-4042, fax: (202) 720-3157, e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    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 responsible for elaborating worldwide standards and 
codes of practice as may be appropriate for fresh fruits and 
vegetables, consulting with the United Nations Economic Commission for 
Europe (UNECE) Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards in the 
elaboration of worldwide standards and codes of practice with 
particular regard to ensuring that there is no duplication of standards 
or codes of practice and that they follow the same broad format, and 
consulting as necessary with other international organizations which 
are active in the area of standardization of fresh fruits and 
vegetables.
    The Committee is hosted by Mexico.

 Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the agenda for the 16th session of the CCFFV 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters arising from Codex and other Codex Committees--
Need for international Standard for Fresh Fungus ``Chanterelle.'' 
Possible extension of territorial application of the Codex Standard for 
Fresh Fungus ``Chanterelle''.
     Matters arising from other International Organizations on 
the Standardization of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.
     UNECE Standards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables--UNECE 
Standard for Avocado.
     Draft Standard for Avocado.
     Draft Standard for Tree Tomatoes.
     Proposed Draft Standard for Chili Peppers.
     Proposed Draft Standard for Pomegranate.
     Proposed Layout for Codex Standards for Fresh Fruits and 
Vegetables.
     Discussion Paper on Point of Application of Codex 
Standards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables including Quality Tolerances 
at Import and Export Control Points.
     Proposals for New Work on Codex Standards for 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 these documents (see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the April 5, 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 16th 
session of the CCFFV, Dorian Lafond (see ADDRESSES). Written comments 
should state that they relate to activities of the 16th session of the 
CCFFV.

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: March 25, 2011.
Karen Stuck,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2011-7646 Filed 3-31-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P