[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 28 (Thursday, February 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7300-7302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-02807]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2015-0047]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Contaminants in Food

AGENCY: Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, are sponsoring a 
public meeting on March 7, 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 10th 
Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF) of the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), taking place in Rotterdam, The 
Netherlands, April 4-8, 2016. The Deputy Under Secretary for Food 
Safety and FDA recognize the importance of providing interested parties 
the opportunity to obtain background information on the 10th Session of 
the CCCF and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 7, 2016, from 
1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place at the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA), Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building, Room 1A-001, 
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), 5100 Paint Branch 
Parkway, College Park, MD 20740. Documents related to the 10th Session 
of the CCCF will be accessible via the Internet at http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/.
    Dr. Lauren Posnick Robin, U.S. Delegate to the 10th Session of the 
CCCF invites interested U.S. 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 10th 
Session of the CCCF by conference call. Please use the call-in-number.
    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/

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topics/international-affairs/us-codex-alimentarius/public-meetings.
    Registration:
    Attendees may register electronically at the same email address 
provided above by March 3, 2016. The meeting will be held in a Federal 
building. Early registration is encouraged as it will expedite entry 
into the building and parking area. Attendees should bring photo 
identification and plan for adequate time to pass through security 
screening systems. If you require parking, please include the vehicle 
make and tag number when you register. Attendees that are not able to 
attend the meeting in person, but wish to participate, may do so by 
phone.
    Further Information About the 10th Session of the CCCF Contact: 
Henry Kim, Ph.D., Office of Food Safety, CFSAN/FDA, HFS-317, 5100 Paint 
Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740, Telephone: (240) 402-2023, Fax: 
(301) 436-2651, email: [email protected]
    For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Henry 
Kim, Ph.D., Office of Food Safety, CFSAN/FDA, HFS-317, 5100 Paint 
Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740, Telephone: (240) 402-2023, Fax: 
(301) 436-2651, 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 that fair practices are 
used in the food trade.
    The CCCF is responsible for:
    (a) Establishing or endorsing permitted maximum levels, and where 
necessary, revising existing guideline levels for contaminants and 
naturally occurring toxicants in food and feed;
    (b) Preparing priority lists of contaminants and naturally 
occurring toxicants for risk assessment by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert 
Committee on Food Additives (JECFA);
    (c) Considering and elaborating methods of analysis and sampling 
for the determination of contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants 
in food and feed;
    (d) Considering and elaborating standards or codes of practice for 
related subjects; and
    (e) Considering other matters assigned to it by the Commission in 
relation to contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants in food and 
feed.
    The Committee is chaired by The Netherlands.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 10th Session of the CCCF 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters referred to the CCCF by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission or its subsidiary bodies;
     Matters of interest arising from FAO and WHO (including 
JECFA);
     Matters of interest arising from other international 
organizations;
     Draft maximum level for inorganic arsenic in husked rice 
(at Step 7 of the Codex Decision Process);
     Proposed draft revision of maximum levels for lead in 
selected fruits and vegetables (fresh and processed) in the General 
Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed (at Step 4 of the 
Codex Decision Process);
     Proposed draft Code of Practice for the prevention and 
reduction of arsenic contamination in rice;
     Proposed draft maximum levels for cadmium in cocoa and 
cocoa derived products (at Step 4 of the Codex Decision Process);
     Draft Revision of the Code of Practice for the prevention 
of mycotoxin contamination in cereals (general provisions) (at Step 7 
of the Codex Decision Process);
     Proposed draft Annexes to the Code of Practice for the 
prevention and reduction of mycotoxin contamination in cereals (at Step 
4 of the Codex Decision Process);
     Proposed draft Code of Practice for the prevention and 
reduction of mycotoxin contamination in spices;
     Discussion paper on an Annex for ergot alkaloids to the 
Code of Practice for the prevention and reduction of mycotoxin 
contamination in cereals;
     Discussion paper on the development of maximum levels for 
mycotoxins in spices;
     Discussion paper on maximum levels for methylmercury in 
fish; and
     Priority list of contaminants and naturally occurring 
toxicants for evaluation by JECFA.
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the Secretariat before the meeting. Members of 
the public may access or request copies of these documents (see 
ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the March 7, 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 Dr. Henry Kim for the 10th 
Session of the CCCF (see ADDRESSES). Written comments should state that 
they relate to activities of the 10th Session of the CCCF.

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_

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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 February 8, 2016.
Paulo Almeida,
Acting U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2016-02807 Filed 2-10-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P