[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 164 (Friday, August 25, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40542-40543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18082]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2017-0037]


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

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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

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 September 1, 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 20th Session of the Codex Committee on 
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission (Codex), which will take place in Kampala, Uganda, October 
2-6, 2017. 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 20th Session of the 
CCFFV and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 1, 2017, 
from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place at the USDA, South 
Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 0752, Washington, DC 20250.
    Documents related to the 20th Session of the CCFFV will be 
accessible via the Internet at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/.
    Dorian Lafond, the U.S. Delegate to the 20th Session of the CCFFV, 
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 20th 
Session of the CCFFV by conference call, please use the following call-
in-number listed:
    Call-in-Number: 1-888-844-9904.
    Access Code: 5126092.

Registration

    Attendees may register to attend the public meeting by emailing 
[email protected] by August 29, 2017. Early registration is 
encouraged as 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 security 
screening systems. Persons 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 20TH SESSION OF CCFFV CONTACT:  
Dorian

[[Page 40543]]

LaFond, Agricultural Marketing Service, Fruits and Vegetables Division, 
Mail Stop 0235, Room 2086, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20250. Telephone: (202) 690-4944, Fax: (202) 720-0016, 
Email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PUBLIC MEETING CONTACT: Kenneth 
Lowery, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue, Room 4861, 
Washington, DC 20250. Telephone: (202) 690-4042, 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 CCFFV is responsible for elaborating worldwide standards and 
codes of practice as may be appropriate for fresh fruits and vegetables 
and for consulting with other international organizations in the 
standards development process to avoid duplication.
    The Committee is hosted by Mexico.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 20th Session of the CCFFV 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters arising from Codex and other Committees;
     Matters arising from other international organizations on 
the standardization of fresh fruits and vegetables
     Draft Standard for Aubergines;
     Draft Standard for Garlic;
     Draft Standard for Kiwifruit;
     Draft Standard for Ware Potatoes;
     Proposed Draft Standard for Fresh Date;
     Proposals for new work on Codex standards for fresh fruits 
and vegetables;
     Proposed layout for Codex standards for fresh fruits and 
vegetables (Outstanding issues); and
     Discussion paper on Glossary of terms used in the Layout 
for Codex standards for fresh fruits and vegetables.
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the Secretariat before to the Meeting. Members 
of the public may access or request copies of these documents (see 
ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the September 1, 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 20th Session of the CCFFV, Dorian LaFond (see ADDRESSES). Written 
comments should state that they relate to activities of the 20th 
Session of CCFFV.

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 August 22, 2017.
Mary Frances Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2017-18082 Filed 8-24-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P