[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 62 (Monday, April 3, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16157-16158]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-06523]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2017-0013]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Methods of Analysis and Sampling

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), Center for Food 
Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) are sponsoring a public meeting on 
April 7, 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 to be discussed at the 38th Session of 
the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) of the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), taking place in Budapest, 
Hungary, between May 8 and 12, 2017. The Administrator and Acting 
Deputy Under Secretary, Office of Food Safety, Office of Food Safety 
and the FDA recognize the importance of providing interested parties 
with the opportunity to obtain background information on the 38th 
Session of the CCMAS and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 7, 2017, from 
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.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 38th Session of the 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 38th 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 38th 
Session of the 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 April 4, 2017. Early registration 
is encouraged because 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 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: For information about the 38th session 
of the CCMAS contact 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].
    For information about the public meeting contact Doreen Chen-
Moulec, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 4867, 
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 
generally 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 micro-biological 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

[[Page 16158]]

related texts for the assessment of food laboratory proficiency, as 
well as quality assurance systems for laboratories.
    The CCMAS is hosted by Hungary and the meeting is attended by the 
United States as a member country of the Codex Alimentarius.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 38th Session of the CCMAS 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters Referred to the Committee by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission and Other Subsidiary Bodies;
     Endorsement of Methods of Analysis Provisions and Sampling 
Plans in Codex Standards;
     Guidance on the criteria approach for methods which use a 
``sum of components;''
     Criteria for endorsement of biological methods used to 
detect chemicals of concern;
     Review and Update of Methods in Codex Standard 234-1999;
     Information document on Practical Examples of the 
Selection of Appropriate Sampling Plans
     Proposal to amend the guidelines on Measurement 
Uncertainty
     Proposal to amend the General Guidelines on Sampling; 
Report of an Inter-Agency Meeting on Methods of Analysis; and Other 
Business and Future Work.
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the Secretariat before to the Committee 
Meeting. Members of the public may access or request copies of these 
documents (see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the April 7, 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 sent to the U.S. Delegate for the 38th 
Session of the CCMAS, Gregory Noonan (see ADDRESSES). Written comments 
should state that they relate to activities of the 38th Session of the 
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).

    Dated: March 29, 2017.
Mary Frances Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2017-06523 Filed 3-31-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P