[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 173 (Thursday, September 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54875-54876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21989]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2012-0035]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Fish and Fishery Products

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), National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are 
sponsoring a public meeting on September 6, 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 32nd session of the Codex Committee on Fish and 
Fishery Products (CCFFP) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), 
which will be held in Bali, Indonesia from October 1-5, 2012. The Under 
Secretary for Food Safety, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), and the Food and Drug Administration recognize 
the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to 
obtain background information on the 32nd session of the CCFFP and to 
address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for September 6, 2012, from 1 
p.m.-3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition 
(CFSAN), Wiley Building, Room 3B047, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College 
Park, MD 20740.
    Documents related to the 32nd session of the CCFFP will be 
accessible via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/.
    Timothy Hansen & Dr. William Jones, U.S. Delegates to the 32nd 
session of the CCFFP, invite U.S. interested parties to submit their 
comments electronically to the following email addresses: 
[email protected] & [email protected].
    Call-In Number:
    If you wish to participate in the public meeting for the 32nd 
session of the CCFFP by conference call, please use the call-in number 
and participant code listed below:
    Call-in Number: 1 (866) 565-0671.
    Participant code: 5968327.
    For Further Information About the 32nd Session of the CCFFP 
Contact: Timothy Hansen, Director, Seafood Inspection Program, National 
Marine Fisheries Services, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, 1315 East West Highway SSMC 3, Silver Spring, 
MD 20910, Phone: (301) 713-2355 Fax:(301) 713-1081, Email: 
[email protected].
    Dr. William Jones, Director, Division of Seafood Safety, Office of 
Food Safety, (HFS-325) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint 
Branch Parkway, College Park, MD, 20740, Phone: (240) 402-2300, Fax: 
(301) 436-2601, Email: [email protected].
    For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Kenneth 
Lowery, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 4861, 
Washington, DC 20250, Phone: (202)690-4042, 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 CCFFP is responsible for: Elaborating worldwide standards for 
fresh, frozen (including quick frozen) or otherwise processed fish, 
crustaceans and molluscs. The Committee is hosted by Norway.

[[Page 54876]]

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the agenda for the 32nd session of the CCFFP 
will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Matters Referred to the CCFFP by the Codex Commission and 
Other Codex Committees
 Matters Arising from the Work of the FAO and the WHO
 Draft Standard for Smoked Fish, Smoke-Flavored Fish and Smoke 
Dried Fish (held at Step 7) Section 4 Food Additives
 Draft Standard for Quick Frozen Scallop Adductor Muscle Meat
 Draft Standard for Fresh/Live and Frozen Abalone (Haliotis 
spp)
 Proposed Draft Code of Practice on the Processing of Scallop 
Meat
 Proposed Draft Performance Criteria for Reference and 
Confirmatory Methods for Marine Biotoxins in the Standard for Raw and 
Live Bivalve Molluscs
 Proposed Draft Performance Criteria for Screening Methods for 
Marine Biotoxins in the Standard for Raw and Live Bivalve Molluscs
 Amendment to the Standard for Quick Frozen Fish Sticks 
(Nitrogen Factor for Atlantic Hake)
 Proposed Draft Revision of the Procedure for the Inclusion of 
Additional Species in Standards for Fish and Fishery Products
 Proposed Draft Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products 
(section on Sturgeon Caviar)
 Discussion Paper on Proposed Draft Code of Practice for Fish 
and Fishery Products (appendices on optional final product 
requirements)
 Proposed Food Additive Provisions in Standards for Fish and 
Fishery Products
 Discussion Paper on Histamine
 Discussion Paper on a Code of Practice for Fish Sauce

    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 September 6, 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. Delegates 
for the 32nd session of CCFFP, Timothy Hansen & Dr. William Jones (see 
ADDRESSES). Written comments should state that they relate to 
activities of the 32nd session of the CCFFP.

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: August 31, 2012.
Karen Stuck,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2012-21989 Filed 9-5-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P