[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 23 (Friday, February 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5481-5483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2439]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2012-0002]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Contaminants in Food

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

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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 Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, are sponsoring a 
public meeting on February 23, 2012. 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 6th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food 
(CCCF) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held 
in Maastricht, The Netherlands, March 26-30, 2012. The Under Secretary 
for Food Safety and FDA recognize the importance of providing 
interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on 
the 6th Session of the CCCF and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 23, 2012, 
from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Harvey W. Wiley 
Federal Building, Room 3B-047, FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied 
Nutrition (CFSAN), 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740. 
Documents related to the 6th Session of the CCCF will be accessible via 
the World Wide web at http://www.codexalimentarius.org.
    Nega Beru, U.S. Delegate to the 6th Session of the CCCF, invites 
interested U.S. parties to submit their comments electronically to the 
following email address [email protected].
    Registration: Attendees may register electronically at the same 
email address provided above by February 18, 2012. The meeting will be 
held in a Federal building; therefore, early registration is encouraged 
as it will expedite entry into the building and its parking area. You 
should also bring photo identification and plan for adequate time to 
pass through security screening systems. If you require parking, please 
include the vehicle make and tag number when you register. Attendees 
that are not able to attend the meeting in-person but wish to 
participate may do so by phone.
    Call-In Number: If you wish to participate in the public meeting 
for the 6th Session of the CCCF by conference call, please use the 
call-in number and participant code listed below.
    Call-in Number: 1-(888) 858-2144.
    Participant Code: 6208658.
    For Further Information About the 6th Session of the CCCF Contact: 
Henry Kim, Ph.D., Office of Food Safety, CFSAN/FDA, HFS-317, 5100 Paint 
Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740, telephone: (240) 402-2023, fax: 
(301) 436-2651, email: [email protected].
    For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Henry 
Kim, Ph.D., Office of Food Safety, CFSAN/FDA, HFS-317, 5100 Paint 
Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740, telephone: (301) 436-2023, fax: 
(301) 436-2651, email: [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 adoption and implementation by governments, Codex seeks to 
protect the health of consumers and ensure that fair practices are used 
in the food trade.
    The CCCF establishes or endorses permitted maximum levels, and 
where necessary revises existing guideline levels for contaminants and 
naturally occurring toxicants in food and feed; prepares priority lists 
of contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants for risk assessment 
by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA); 
considers and elaborates methods of analysis and sampling for the 
determination of contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants in food 
and feed; considers and elaborates standards or codes of practice for 
related subjects; and considers other matters assigned to it by Codex 
in relation to contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants in food 
and feed.
    The Committee is chaired by The Netherlands.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the agenda for the 6th Session of the CCCF 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters Referred to the CCCF by Codex and other Codex 
Committees/Task Forces.
     Revision of the Risk Analysis Principles Applied by the 
Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) and the CCCF as to Their 
Separation from the CCFA and Their Applicability to Feed.
     Revision of the Code of Practice for Source Directed 
Measures to Reduce Contamination of Food with Chemicals as to Their 
Applicability to Feed.
     Matters of Interest Arising from FAO and WHO (including 
JECFA).
     Matters of Interest Arising from other International 
Organizations--International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
     Draft Maximum Levels for Melamine in Food (liquid infant 
formula).
     Proposed Draft Maximum Levels for Arsenic in Rice.
     Proposed Draft Maximum Levels for Deoxynivalenol (DON) and 
its Acetylated Derivatives in Cereals and Cereal-Based Products.
     Proposed Draft Maximum Levels for Total Aflatoxins in 
Dried Figs including Sampling Plans.
     Editorial Amendments to the General Standard for 
Contaminants and Toxins in Foods and Feeds (GSCTFF).
     Discussion Paper on Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Food and 
Feed.
     Discussion Paper on Maximum Levels for Lead in Various 
Foods in the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and 
Feed and the Related Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction 
of Lead Contamination in Foods and the Code of Practice for Source 
Directed Measure to Reduce Contamination of Foods with Chemicals.
     Discussion Paper on Mycotoxins in Sorghum.
     Discussion Paper on Ochratoxin A in Cocoa.
     Discussion Paper on Guidance for Risk Management Options 
in Light of Different Risk Assessment Options.
     Priority List of Contaminants and Naturally Occurring 
Toxicants Proposed for Evaluation by the JECFA.
    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 23, 2012, 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 Dr. Henry Kim for the 
6th Session of the CCCF (see ADDRESSES). Written comments should state 
that they relate to activities of the 6th Session of the CCCF.

Additional Public Notification

    FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page 
located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Federal_Register_Notices/index.asp.

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    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. 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_&_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.

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, and 
audiotape) 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.

    Done at Washington, DC on: January 27, 2012.
Doreen Chen-Moulec,
U.S. office for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2012-2439 Filed 2-2-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P