[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 130 (Tuesday, July 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38484-38486]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15912]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2014-0006]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Processed Fruits and Vegetables

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, United 
States

[[Page 38485]]

Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Agricultural Marketing 
Service (AMS), are sponsoring a public meeting on August 12, 2014. The 
objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive 
public comments on agenda items and draft United States positions to be 
discussed at the 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Processed 
Fruits and Vegetables (CCPFV) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
(Codex), taking place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from September 8-
12, 2014. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and the Agricultural 
Marketing Service recognize the importance of providing interested 
parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 27th 
Session of CCPFV and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 12, 2014, 
from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place at The United States 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), Jamie L. Whitten Building, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Room 107-A, Washington, DC 20250. Documents 
related to the 27th session of CCPFV will be accessible via Internet at 
the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/.
    Dorian LaFond, U.S. Delegate to the 27th session of CCPFV, 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 27th 
session of CCPFV by conference call, Please use the call in number and 
participant code listed below:
    Call in Number: 1-888-844-9904
    The participant code will be posted on the following Web page: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/international-affairs/us-codex-alimentarius/public-meetings.
    For Further Information About The 27th Session of CCPFV Contact: 
Dorian LaFond, Agricultural Marketing Service, Fruits and Vegetables 
Division, Stop 0235-Room 2086, South Building, 1400 Independence Ave. 
SW., Washington, DC 20250-0235; Phone: (202) 690-4944, Fax: (202) 720-
0016 Email: [email protected].
    For Further Information About The Public Meeting Contact: Doreen 
Chen-Moulec, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 
4865, Washington, DC 20250; Phone: (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 CCPFV is responsible for: elaborating worldwide standards and 
related texts for all types of processed fruits and vegetables 
including but not limited to canned, dried and frozen products as well 
as fruit and vegetable juices and nectars.
    The Committee is hosted by the United States.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 27th session of CCPFV 
will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Draft Standard for Certain Canned Fruits
 Proposed Draft Annexes on Specific Canned Fruits
 Draft Standard for Certain Quick Frozen Vegetables
 Proposed Draft Annexes on Specific Quick Frozen Vegetables
 Proposed Draft Standard for Ginseng Products
 Methods of Analysis for Canned Fruits and Quick Frozen 
Vegetables
 Food additive provisions in Certain Standards for Processed 
Fruits and Vegetables
 Discussion Paper on the Standardization of Dry and Dried 
Produce
 Status of work on the revision of Codex Standards for 
Processed Fruits and Vegetables

    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 or request copies of these documents (see 
ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the August 12, 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 27th 
session of CCPFV, Dorian LaFond (see ADDRESSES). Written comments 
should state that they relate to activities of the 27th session of 
CCPFV.

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.

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.


[[Page 38486]]


    Done at Washington, DC, on July 2, 2014.
Mary Frances Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2014-15912 Filed 7-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P