[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 34 (Wednesday, February 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11337-11338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03391]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2017-0004]


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

AGENCY: Office of Food Safety, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of 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 2, 
2017. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and 
receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) 
positions that will be discussed at the 11th Session of the Codex 
Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF) of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission (Codex), taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil April 3-7, 
2017. The Office of Food Safety and the FDA recognize the importance of 
providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background 
information on the 11th Session of the CCCF and to address items on the 
agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 2, 2017, 
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, 5001 Campus Drive, 
College Park, MD 20740.
    Documents related to the 11th Session of the CCCF will be 
accessible via the Internet at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/.
    Dr. Lauren Posnick Robin, U.S. Delegate to the 11th Session of the 
CCCF, invites interested U.S. parties to submit their comments 
electronically to the following email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Registration: Attendees may register electronically at the same 
email address provided above by February 24, 2017. The meeting will be 
held in a Federal building. Early registration is encouraged as it will 
expedite entry into the building and its 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. Person who are not able 
to attend the meeting in person, but wish to participate, may do so by 
phone.
    Call-In-Number: If you wish to participate in the public meeting 
for the 11th Session of the CCCF by conference call, please use the 
call-in-number and the participant code below.
    Call-in-Number: 1-888-844-9904
    Participant Code: 5126092FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE 11TH 
SESSION OF THE CCCF CONTACT: Henry Kim, Ph.D., Office of Food Safety, 
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug 
Administration, HFS-317, 5001 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20740, 
Telephone: (240) 402-2023, Email: [email protected].
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PUBLIC MEETING CONTACT: Henry 
Kim, Ph.D., Office of Food Safety, Center for Food Safety and Applied 
Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, HFS-317, 5001 Campus 
Drive, College Park, MD 20740, Telephone: (301) 436-2023, Email: 
[email protected].

Background

    The 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 Codex 
Alimentarius 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 11th Session of the CCCF 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters referred to the CCCF by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission and/or its subsidiary bodies;
     Matters of interest arising from other international 
organizations;
     Proposed draft annex on ergot and ergot alkaloids in 
cereal grains (Annex to the Code of Practice for the Prevention and 
Reduction of Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals);
     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;
     Proposed draft Code of Practice for the Prevention and 
Reduction of Arsenic Contamination in Rice;
     Proposed draft maximum levels for cadmium in chocolate and 
cocoa-derived products;
     Proposed draft Code of Practice for the Prevention and 
Reduction of Mycotoxin Contamination in Spices;
     Proposed draft maximum level for total aflatoxins in ready 
to eat peanuts;

[[Page 11338]]

     Discussion paper on maximum levels for methylmercury in 
tuna and other fish;
     Discussion paper on development of maximum levels for 
mycotoxin contamination in spices;
     Discussion paper on possible inclusion of non-dioxin like 
PCBs in the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Dioxin 
and Dioxin-like PCB Contamination in Food and Feed; and
     Priority list of contaminants and naturally occurring 
toxicants proposed 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 2, 2017 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 emailed to Dr. Henry Kim (see 
ADDRESSES). Written comments should state that they relate to 
activities of the 11th 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_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.
    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 15, 2017.
Paulo Almeida,
Acting U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2017-03391 Filed 2-21-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P