[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 126 (Thursday, June 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42629-42630]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15599]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2016-0023]


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

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 Agricultural Marketing 
Service (AMS), are sponsoring a public meeting on August 1, 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 28th Session of the Codex Committee on 
Processed Fruits and Vegetables (CCPFV) of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission (Codex), taking place in Washington, DC, September 12-16, 
2016. The Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety and the AMS recognize 
the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to 
obtain background information on the 28th Session of the CCPFV and to 
address items on the agenda.

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

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place at the USDA, Jamie L. 
Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 107-A, Washington, 
DC 20250.
    Documents related to the 28th Session of the CCPFV will be 
accessible via the Internet at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/.
    Dorian LaFond, U.S. Delegate to the 28th Session of the 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 28th 
Session of the CCPFV by conference call, please use the following call-
in-number.
    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-meetingsRegistration:
    Attendees may register to attend the public meeting by emailing 
[email protected] by July 27,2016. Early registration is encouraged 
as it will expedite entry into the building. The meeting will be held 
in a Federal building. Attendees should bring photo identification and 
plan for adequate time to pass through 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 About the 28th Session of the CCPFV Contact: 
Dorian LaFond, Agricultural Marketing Service, Fruits and Vegetables 
Division, Mail Stop 0235, Room 2086, South Agriculture Building, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-0235, Telephone: (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., South 
Agriculture Building, Room 4865, Washington, DC 20250. Telephone: (202) 
205-7760, 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 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.

[[Page 42630]]

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 28th Session of the CCPFV 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters referred to the Committee by Codex and its 
subsidiary bodies;
     Proposed draft Annex on canned pineapples (for inclusion 
in the Standard for Certain Canned Fruits (CODEX STAN 319-2015) (Step 
4);
     Proposed draft Annexes on quick frozen vegetables (for 
inclusion in the Standard for Quick Frozen Vegetables (CODEX STAN 320-
2015) (Step 4) and methods of analysis for quick frozen vegetables (for 
inclusion in Section 11--Methods of Analysis and Sampling of CODEX STAN 
320-2015);
     Discussion paper on standardization of dry and dried 
produce;
     Food additive provisions in Codex standards for processed 
fruits and vegetables (canned chestnuts and canned chestnut puree and 
pickled fruits and vegetables); and
     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 before the Meeting. Members of 
the public may access or request copies of these documents (see 
ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the August 1, 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 28th 
Session of the CCPFV, Dorian LaFond (see ADDRESSES). Written comments 
should state that they relate to the activities of the 28th Session of 
the CCPFV.

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.
    E-mail: [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 June 27, 2016.
Paulo Almeida,
Acting U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2016-15599 Filed 6-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P