[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10399-10401]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03518]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

U.S. Codex Office


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

AGENCY: U.S. Codex Office.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on April 
16, 2020. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information 
and

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receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) 
positions to be discussed at the 41th Session of the Codex Committee on 
Methods of Analysis (CCMAS) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, in 
Budapest, Hungary, May 11-15, 2020. 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 CCMAS and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for April 16, 2020, from 1:00 
p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EST.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place in the United States 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), South Building, Room 1442-S, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250. Documents related to the 
40th Session of the CCMAS will be accessible via the internet at the 
following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en. Gregory O. Noonan, Ph.D., U.S. Delegate to the 40th 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 40th Session of the CCMAS by conference call, please register 
in advance by emailing [email protected]. Please use the 
call-in-number: 1-888-844-9904 and participant code: 512 6092.
    Registration: Attendees may register to attend the public meeting 
by emailing [email protected] by April 14, 2020. 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.
    For further information about the 40th session of 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 FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doreen Chen-Moulec, U.S. Codex Office, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4867, South Building, Washington, DC 
20250.Phone: (202) 205-7760, 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 (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 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, appropriate to Codex standards which are generally applicable 
to a number of foods; considering, amending, and 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, 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 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 40th 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
 Review of Methods of Analysis in the Codex Standard on 
Recommended Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CXS 234-1999)
 Dairy workable package
 Fats and oils workable package
 Cereals, pulses and legumes workable package
 Revision of the Guidelines on Measurement Uncertainty
 Information document on the Guidelines of Measurement 
Uncertainty
 Revision of the General Guidelines on Sampling (CXG 50-2004)
 Discussion paper on criteria to select Type II methods from 
multiple Type III methods
 Report of an Inter-Agency Meeting on Methods of Analysis
 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 April 16, 2019, 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 Gregory O. Noonan.

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 USDA 
Codex web page located at: http://www.usda.gov/codex, a link that also 
offers an email subscription service providing access to information 
related to Codex. Customers can add or delete their 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.

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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 February 18, 2020.
Mary Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2020-03518 Filed 2-21-20; 8:45 am]
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