[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 240 (Tuesday, December 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77600-77601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31458]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 240 / Tuesday, December 15, 2015 / 
Notices  

[[Page 77600]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2015-0041]


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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 on January 19, 2016. The objective of the 
public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on 
agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions to be discussed 
at the 37th Session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and 
Sampling (CCMAS) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), taking 
place in Budapest, Hungary, February 21-25, 2016. The Deputy Under 
Secretary for Food Safety and the Food and Drug Administration 
recognize the importance of providing interested parties with the 
opportunity to obtain background information on the 37th Session of the 
CCMAS and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 19, 2016, 
from 10:00-11:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place at the United States 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 107-
A, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250. Documents 
related to the 37th Session of CCMAS will be accessible via the 
Internet at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/.
    Dr. Gregory O. Noonan, U.S. Delegate to the 37th Session of the 
CCMAS 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 37th 
Session of CCMAS by conference call please use the call-in-number 
listed below:
    Call-in-Number: 1-888-844-9904.
    The participant code will be posted on the Web page below: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/international-affairs/us-codex-alimentarius/public-meetings.
    Registration:
    Attendees may register to attend the public meeting by emailing 
[email protected] by January 14, 2016. Early registration is 
encouraged because it will expedite entry into the building. The 
meeting will take place in a Federal building. Attendees should bring 
photo identification and plan for adequate time to pass through the 
security screening systems. Attendees who are not able to attend the 
meeting in person, but who wish to participate, may do so by phone.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: About the 37th Session Of CCMAS: 
Gregory O. Noonan, Ph.D., Research Chemist, Center for Food Safety and 
Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Food and Drug Administration, Harvey W. 
Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 
20740, Phone: (240) 402-2250, Fax: (301) 436-2634, Email: 
[email protected]
    About The Public Meeting: Marie Maratos, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 
Independence Avenue, Room 4861, South Agriculture Building, Washington, 
DC 20250. Phone: (202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157, Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The 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 that fair practices are 
used in trade.
    The CCMAS is responsible for defining the criteria appropriate to 
Codex Methods of Analysis and Sampling; serving as a coordinating body 
for Codex with other international groups working in methods of 
analysis and sampling and quality assurance systems for laboratories; 
specifying, on the basis of final recommendations submitted to it by 
other bodies reference methods of analysis and sampling; considering, 
amending, and endorsing, appropriate to codex standards which are 
geniunly applicable to a number of foods; 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 microbiological quality and safety in food, 
and the assessment of specifications for food additives, do not fall 
within the terms of reference of this Committee); elaborating sampling 
plans and procedures; considering specific sampling and analysis 
problems submitted to it by the Commission or any of its Committees; 
and defining procedures, protocols, guidelines, or related texts for 
the assessment of food laboratory proficiency, as well as quality 
assurance systems for laboratories.
    The Committee is hosted by Hungary.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 37th Session of CCMAS 
will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Criteria for endorsement of biological methods to detect 
chemicals of concern
 Practical Examples (Information Document)
 Procedures for determining uncertainty of measurement results
 Development of procedures or guidelines for determining 
equivalency to Type I methods
 Criteria approach to determining the acceptability of methods 
which use a ``sum of components'' Review and update of methods in Codex 
Standard 234-1999 (Recommended Methods of Analysis and Sampling)
 Follow-up on methods of analysis and sampling plans

[[Page 77601]]

 Sampling in Codex standards
 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 Committee 
Meeting. Members of the public may access or request copies of these 
documents (see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the January 19, 2016 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 37th 
Session of CCMAS, Gregory Noonan (see ADDRESSES). Written comments 
should state that they relate to activities of the 37th Session of 
CCMAS.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication on-line through the FSIS Web page located at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register .
    FSIS also will make copies of this 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 our constituents and 
stakeholders. The Update is available on the FSIS Web page. Through the 
Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more 
diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email 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/subscribe . Options range from recalls to export 
information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or 
delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password 
protect their accounts.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

    No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds 
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, 
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, 
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to 
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or 
activity conducted by the USDA.

How To File a Complaint of Discrimination

    To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program 
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your 
authorized representative.
    Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, 
or email:
    Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of 
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, 
Fax: (202) 690-7442, Email: [email protected].
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC on December 9, 2015.
Mary Frances Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2015-31458 Filed 12-14-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P