[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 183 (Thursday, September 20, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47601-47603]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20443]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

U.S. Codex Office


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU)

AGENCY: U.S. Codex Office, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S Codex Program is sponsoring a public meeting on 
Tuesday, November 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 40th 
session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special 
Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Berlin, 
Germany November 26-30, 2018. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius 
and the Under Secretary, Office of Trade and Foreign Agricultural 
Affairs, recognize the importance of providing interested parties the 
opportunity to obtain background information on the 40th Session of the 
CCNFSDU and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 6, 2018 
from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place at the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 
Wiley Building, Room 1A002, 55 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20740.
    Documents related to the 40th Session of the CCNFSDU will be 
accessible via the internet at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en.
    Dr. Douglas Balentine, U.S. Delegate to the 40th Session of the 
CCNFSDU, 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 40th Session of the CCNFSDU by conference call, please use the 
call-in-number listed below:
    Call-In-Number: 1-877-465-7975--U.S. Toll Free.

[[Page 47602]]

    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    About the 40th Session Of the CCNFSDU: Doug Balentine, Director, 
Office of Nutrition and Food Labelling, Center for Food Safety and 
Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 5001 Campus Drive 
(HFS-830), College Park, MD 20740. Phone: +1 240 402 2373. Fax: +1 
(301) 436-2636. Email: [email protected].
    About the Public Meeting: Doreen Chen-Moulec, U.S. Codex Office, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4861, South Agriculture Building, 
Washington, DC 20250, Phone: (202) 720-4063, Fax: (202) 720-3157, 
Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Registration

    Attendees may register to attend the public meeting by emailing 
[email protected] by October 24, 2018.
    Early registration is encouraged because 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 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, as discussed above.

Background

    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 fair practices in the 
food trade.
    The CCNFSDU is responsible for:
    (a) Studying nutrition issues referred to it by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission;
    (b) Drafting general provisions, as appropriate, on nutritional 
aspects of all foods and developing standards, guidelines, and related 
texts for foods for special dietary uses, in cooperation with other 
committees where necessary; and
    (c) Considering, amending if necessary, and endorsing provisions on 
nutritional aspects proposed for inclusion in Codex standards, 
guidelines, and related texts.
    The CCNFSDU is hosted by Germany. The U.S. attends CCNFSDU as a 
member country of Codex.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 40th Session of the 
CCNFSDU will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Matters referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its 
subsidiary bodies
 Matters of Interest Arising from FAO and WHO:
    [cir] Review of the Standard for Follow-up Formula (CXS 156-1987)1
    [ssquf] Comments in reply to CL 2018/62-NFSDU
    [cir] Review of the Standard for Follow-up Formula (CXS 156-1987)2
    [ssquf] Comments in reply to CL 2018/63-NFSDU
    [cir] Proposed Draft Guideline for Ready-to-use Therapeutic Foods
    [ssquf] Comments at in reply to CL 2018/64-NFSDU
    [cir] Proposed Draft Definition for Biofortification
    [ssquf] Comments in reply to CL 2018/65-NFSDU
    [cir] Proposed Draft NRV-NCD for EPA and DHA long chain omega-3 
fatty acids
    [ssquf] Comments in reply to CL 2018/66-NFSDU
    [cir] Proposed draft Claim for ``free'' of Trans Fatty Acids
    [ssquf] Comments in reply to CL 2017/89/OCS-NFSDU
    [cir] Discussion paper of NRV-R for older infants and young 
children
    [cir] Discussion paper on mechanism/framework for considering the 
technological justification of food additives
    [cir] Discussion paper on harmonized probiotic guidelines for use 
in foods and dietary supplements
    [cir] Discussion paper on general guidelines to establish 
nutritional profiles
 Other Business and Future Work.
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed by the Secretariat before the Committee meeting. 
Members of the public may access or request copies of these documents 
(see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the Tuesday, November 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 
Douglas Balentine, U.S. Delegate for the 40th Session of the CCNFSDU 
(see ADDRESSES). Written comments should state that they relate to 
activities of the 40th Session of the CCNFSDU.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, the U.S. Codex Office will 
announce this Federal Register publication on-line through the FSIS web 
page located at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register. The U.S. 
Codex Office also 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).


[[Page 47603]]


    Done at Washington, DC, on September 14th, 2018.
Mary Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2018-20443 Filed 9-19-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE P