[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 68 (Monday, April 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21077-21078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8505]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2012-0018]


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

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 Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA), are sponsoring a public meeting on April 18, 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 40th Session of the Codex Committee on Food 
Labeling (CCFL) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which 
will be held in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada from May 15-18, 2012. The Under 
Secretary for Food Safety and FDA recognize the importance of providing 
interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on 
the 40th Session of the CCFL, and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 18, 2012, 
from 1:00-3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Jamie L. Whitten 
Building, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 107-A, Washington, 
DC 20250.
    Documents related to the 40th Session of the CCFL will be 
accessible via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/.
    Barbara Schneeman, U.S. Delegate to the 40th Session of the CCFL, 
invites U.S. interested parties to submit their comments electronically 
to the following email address: [email protected].

Call-In Number:

    If you wish to participate in the public meeting for the 40th 
Session of the CCFL 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 40th Session of the CCFL Contact: 
Barbara Schneeman, Ph.D., Director, Office of Nutrition, Labeling, and 
Dietary Supplements, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, 
5100 Paint Branch Parkway (HFS-800), College Park, MD 20740, Telephone: 
(240) 402-2373, Fax: (301) 436-2636, Email: 
[email protected].
    For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Doreen 
Chen-Moulec, USCODEX Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 4861, 
Washington, DC 20250, Telephone: (202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157, 
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 their adoption and implementation by governments, Codex seeks 
to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the 
food trade.
    The CCFL is responsible for:
    (a) Drafting provisions on labeling applicable to all foods;
    (b) considering, amending if necessary, and endorsing draft 
specific provisions on labeling prepared by the Codex Committees 
drafting standards, codes of practice and guidelines;
    (c) studying specific labeling problems assigned to it by Codex; 
and
    (d) studying problems associated with the advertisement of food 
with particular reference to claims and misleading descriptions.
    The Committee is hosted by Canada.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the agenda for the 40th Session of the CCFL 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters Referred to the Committee.
     Consideration of Labeling Provisions in Draft Codex 
Standards.
     Implementation of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, 
Physical Activity and Health.
    (a) Proposed Draft Revision of the Guidelines for Use of Nutrition 
and

[[Page 21078]]

Health Claims: Additional Conditions for Nutrient Content Claims and 
Comparative Claims.
    (b) Draft Definition for Nutrient Reference Values for Inclusion in 
the Guidelines for Nutrition Labeling.
    (c) Requirements for Mandatory Nutrition Labeling.
     Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labeling and 
Marketing of Organically Produced Foods.
    (a) Inclusion of Ethylene for Other Products at Step 7; Use of 
Ethylene for the Ripening of Fruit.
    (b) Inclusion of Spinosad, Copper Octanoate, and Potassium 
Bicarbonate.
    (c) Use of Ethylene for Degreening of Citrus for Fruit Fly 
Prevention, as a Flowering Agent for Pineapples and as a Sprouting 
Inhibitor for Onions and Potatoes.
    (d) Organic Aquaculture.
    (e) Structured Approach and Template.
     Modified Standardized Common Names.
     Other Business and Future Work.
    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 18, 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 the U.S. Delegate for the 40th 
session of the CCFL, Barbara Schneeman (see ADDRESSES). Written 
comments should state that they relate to activities of the 40th 
session of the CCFL.

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.
    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, or 
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: April 3, 2012.
Karen Stuck,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2012-8505 Filed 4-6-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P