[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 68 (Friday, April 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19742-19744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-8399]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2011-0007]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission

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), is sponsoring a public meeting on 
June 16, 2011. The objective of the public meeting is to provide 
information and receive public comments on agenda

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items and draft United States (U.S.) positions that will be discussed 
at the 34th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which 
will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, July 4-9, 2011. The Under 
Secretary for Food Safety recognizes the importance of providing 
interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on 
the 34th session of the CAC and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for June 16, 2011, from 1 p.m. 
to 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in the Jamie L. Whitten 
Building, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 107-A, Washington, 
DC 20250.
    Documents related to the 34th session of the CAC will be accessible 
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
    Karen Stuck, U.S. Codex Manager, invites U.S. interested parties to 
submit their comments electronically to the following e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    Call-In Number: If you wish to participate in the public meeting 
for the 34th session of the CAC by conference call, please use call-in 
number and participant code listed below:
    Call-in Number: 1-888-858-2144.
    Participant Code: 6208658.
    For Further Information About the 34th Session of the CAC Contact: 
Karen Stuck, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 
4861, Washington, DC 20250, telephone: (202) 205-7760, fax: (202) 720-
3157, e-mail: [email protected].

For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact:  Barbara 
McNiff, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 4861, 
Washington, DC 20250, telephone: (202) 690-4719, fax: (202) 720-3157, 
e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The CAC 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 implementation by governments, Codex seeks to:
    (a) Protect the health of the consumers and ensure fair practices 
in food trade;
    (b) Promote coordination of all food standards work undertaken by 
international governmental and non governmental organizations;
    (c) Determine priorities and initiate and guide the preparation of 
draft standards through and with the aid of appropriate organizations;
    (d) Finalize standards elaborated under (c) above and publish them 
in a Codex Alimentarius either as regional or worldwide standards, 
together with international standards already finalized by other bodies 
under (b) above, wherever this is practicable;
    (e) Amend published standards, as appropriate, in the light of new 
developments.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the agenda for the 34th session of the CAC 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Report by the Chairperson on the 65th session of the 
Executive Committee
     Reports of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committees and 
Appointment of Regional Coordinators
     Proposed Amendments to the Procedural Manual
     Comments on the Proposed Amendments to the Procedural 
Manual
     Draft Standards and Related Texts at Step 8 of the 
Procedure (including those submitted at Step 5 with a recommendation to 
omit Steps 6 and 7 and at Step 5 of the Accelerated Procedure)
     Comments on Draft Standards and Related Texts at Step 5
     Revocation of Existing Codex Standards and Related Texts
     Amendments to Codex Standards and Related Texts
     Proposals for the Elaboration of New Standards and Related 
Texts and for the Discontinuation of Work
     Matters referred to the CAC by Codex Committees and Task 
Forces
     Financial and Budgetary Matters
     Strategic Planning of the CAC
     Relations between the CAC and other International 
Organizations
     Matters arising from the FAO and the WHO
    (a) FAO/WHO Project and Trust Fund for Enhanced Participation in 
Codex
    (b) Other Matters arising from the FAO and the WHO
     Election of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairpersons, and other 
Members of the Executive Committee
     Designation of Countries responsible for Appointing the 
Chairpersons of Codex Committees and Task Forces and Schedule of 
Sessions 2012-2013
    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 34th session of the CAC 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. Codex 
Manager for the 34th session of CAC. (See ADDRESSES). Written comments 
should state that they relate to activities of the 34th session of the 
CAC.

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,

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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 30, 2011.
Karen Stuck,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2011-8399 Filed 4-7-11; 8:45 am]
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