[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 53 (Monday, March 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11954-11955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05514]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 53 / Monday, March 19, 2018 / 
Notices  

[[Page 11954]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2018-0007]


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.

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

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 6, 2018. 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 39th 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 7 and 11, 2018. The Acting Deputy Under Secretary, 
Office of Food Safety and the FDA recognize the importance of providing 
interested parties with the opportunity to obtain background 
information on the 39th Session of the CCMAS and to address items on 
the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 6, 2018, 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 39th 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 39th 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 39th 
Session of the CCMAS by conference call, please use the call-in-number 
listed below:
    Call-in-Number: 1-888-844-9904.
    Access Code: 5126092#.
    Registration: Attendees may register to attend the public meeting 
by emailing [email protected] by April 4, 2018. 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:  About the 39th session of the CCMAS: 
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].
    About the public meeting: 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, referred to above, reference methods of analysis and 
sampling appropriate to Codex Standards which are generally applicable 
to a number of foods; considering, amending, and if necessary 
endorsing, as appropriate, 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, and 
the assessment of microbiological quality and safety on 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, as required; considering specific sampling and analysis 
problems submitted to it by the Commission or any of its Committees; 
defining procedures, protocols, guidelines, or 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 Codex.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 39th 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;
     Revision of the Recommended Methods of Codex Stan 234/
review and update of Codex Stan 234;
     Criteria for endorsement of biological methods used to 
detect chemicals of concern;
     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.

[[Page 11955]]

    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 6, 2018, 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 39th 
Session of the CCMAS, Gregory Noonan (see ADDRESSES).
    Written comments should state that they relate to activities of the 
39th 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).

Paulo Almeida,
Acting U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2018-05514 Filed 3-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P