[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 231 (Monday, December 6, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69002-69003]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26417]


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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. 86, No. 231 / Monday, December 6, 2021 / 
Notices  

[[Page 69002]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

U.S. Codex Office


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Food Hygiene

AGENCY: U.S. Codex Office, USDA.

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 January 
27, 2022. 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 52nd Session of the Codex 
Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, 
which will meet virtually, February 28-March 4, 2022 with the report 
adoption on March 9, 2022. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and 
the Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural 
Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the 
opportunity to obtain background information on the 52nd Session of the 
CCFH and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for January 27, 2022, from 1:00 
p.m.-3:00 p.m. EST.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place via Video Teleconference 
only. Documents related to the 52nd Session of the CCFH will be 
accessible via the internet at the following address: https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/meetings/detail/en/?meeting=CCFH&session=52.
    Ms. Jenny Scott, U.S. Delegate to the 52nd Session of the CCFH, 
invites U.S. interested parties to submit their comments electronically 
to the following email address: [email protected].
    Registration: Attendees must register to attend the public meeting 
by January 25, 2022, here: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItf-yvrTwqE9yjYbgZbeWEHCpqWxw7mQ0. Early registration is encouraged.
    For Further Information about the 52nd Session of the CCFH, contact 
U.S. Delegate, Ms. Jenny Scott at [email protected]. For further 
Information about the public meeting Contact: U.S. Codex Office, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Room 4861, South Agriculture Building, 
Washington, DC 20250. Phone (202) 720-7760, 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 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 Terms of Reference of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene 
(CCFH) are:
    (a) To draft basic provisions on food hygiene applicable to all 
food;
    (b) to consider, amend if necessary and endorse provisions on 
hygiene prepared by Codex commodity committees and contained in Codex 
commodity standards, and
    (c) to consider, amend if necessary, and endorse provisions on 
hygiene prepared by Codex commodity committees and contained in Codex 
codes of practice unless, in specific cases, the Commission has decided 
otherwise, or
    (d) to draft provisions on hygiene applicable to specific food 
items or food groups, whether coming within the terms of reference of a 
Codex commodity committee or not;
    (e) to consider specific hygiene problems assigned to it by the 
Commission;
    (f) to suggest and prioritize areas where there is a need for 
microbiological risk assessment at the international level and to 
develop questions to be addressed by the risk assessors; and,
    (g) to consider microbiological risk management matters in relation 
to food hygiene and in relation to the risk assessment of FAO and WHO.
    The CCFH is hosted by the United States of America.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 52nd Session of the CCFH 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and/
or other Codex Subsidiary Bodies to the Committee
     Matters arising from the Work of FAO and WHO (including 
the Joint Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment, JEMRA)
     Information from the World Organisation for Animal Health 
(OIE)
     Draft guidance for the management of biological foodborne 
outbreaks
     Proposed draft Decision Tree (revision of the General 
Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969)
     Proposed draft Guidelines for the control of Shiga toxin-
producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in beef, raw milk and cheese produced 
from raw milk, leafy greens, and sprouts
     Proposed draft Guidelines for the safe use and re-use of 
water in food production.

Public Meeting

    At the January 27, 2022, 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 Ms. Jenny Scott, U.S. 
Delegate for the 52nd Session of the CCFH (see ADDRESSES). Written 
comments should state that they relate to activities of the 52nd 
Session of the CCFH.

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 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 subscription themselves and 
have

[[Page 69003]]

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 https://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 December 1, 2021.
Mary Frances Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2021-26417 Filed 12-3-21; 8:45 am]
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