[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4322-4323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01474]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2013-0048]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Methods of Analysis and Sampling

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), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), are 
sponsoring a public meeting to take place on February 5, 2014. The 
objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive 
public comments on agenda items and draft United States positions that 
will be discussed at the 35th Session of the Codex Committee on Methods 
of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
(Codex), which will take place in Budapest, Hungary, from March 3-7, 
2014. The Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety and the FDA recognize 
the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to 
obtain background information on the 35th Session of CCMAS and to 
address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for February 5, 2014 from 2:00 
p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place at the Harvey W. Wiley 
Federal Building, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety 
and Applied Nutrition, Room 1A-002, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College 
Park, MD 20740.
    Documents related to the 35th Session of the CCMAS will be 
accessible via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/.
    Dr. Gregory O. Noonan, U.S. Delegate to the 35th Session of the 
CCMAS, and the FDA, invite 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 35th Session of the CCMAS by conference call, please use the 
call-in number and participant code listed below.
    Call-In Number: 1-301-796-2700 or 1-877-231-0558 (toll free).
    Participant Code: 5349.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about the 35th 
Session of the CCMAS contact: Gregory O. Noonan, Ph.D., Research 
Chemist, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug 
Administration, Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch 
Parkway, College Park, MD 20740; Telephone: (240) 402-2250, Fax: (301) 
436-2634, Email: [email protected].
    For further information about the public meeting contact: Marie 
Maratos, U.S. Codex Office, South Building, Room 4861, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250; Telephone: (202)205-
7760, Fax: (202)720-3157, Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Codex Alimentarius (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 fair 
practices in the food trade.
    The Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling is 
responsible for:
    (a) Defining the criteria appropriate to Codex methods of analysis 
and sampling;
    (b) Serving as a coordinating body for Codex with other 
international groups working in methods of analysis and sampling and 
quality assurance systems for laboratories;
    (c) Specifying the basis of final recommendations submitted to it 
by other bodies;
    (d) Considering, amending, and endorsing, methods of analysis and 
sampling proposed by Codex (commodity) committees, except that methods 
of analysis and sampling for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs 
in food, the assessment of micro biological quality and safety in food, 
and the assessment of specifications for food additives do not fall 
within the terms of reference of this Committee;
    (e) Elaborating sampling plans and procedures;
    (f) Considering specific sampling and analysis problems submitted 
to it by the Commission or any of its Committees; and
    (g) Defining procedures, protocols, guidelines or related texts for 
the assessment of food laboratory proficiency, as well as quality 
assurance systems for laboratories.
    The CCMAS is hosted by Hungary.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 35th Session of CCMAS 
will be discussed during the public meeting:


[[Page 4323]]


 Matters Referred to the Committee by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission and Other Codex Committees
 Endorsement of Methods of Analysis Provisions in Codex 
Standards
 Proposed Draft Principles for the Use of Sampling and Testing 
in International Food Trade: Explanatory Notes (at Step 4)
 Discussion paper on considering procedures for establishing 
criteria
 Discussion paper on elaboration of procedures for regular 
updating of methods
 Discussion paper on Sampling in Codex standards
 Report of an Inter-Agency Meeting on Methods of Analysis
 Other Business and Future Work

    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the Codex Secretariat prior to the Committee 
meeting. Members of the public may access or request copies of these 
documents (see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the February 5, 2014, 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 35th Session of the CCMAS, Gregory Noonan (see ADDRESSES). Written 
comments should state that they relate to activities of the 35th 
Session of the CCMAS.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (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

    FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page 
located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulations/federal-register.
    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/wps/portal/fsis/programs-and-services/email-subscription-service. 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.

    Done at Washington, DC on: January 9, 2014.
Mary Frances Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2014-01474 Filed 1-24-14; 8:45 am]
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