[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 46 (Thursday, March 9, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14594-14595]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-04801]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

U.S. Codex Office


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

AGENCY: U.S. Codex Office, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on 
Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 1:00-4:00 p.m. EDT. The objective of the 
public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on 
agenda items and draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the 47th 
Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission, which will meet in Gatineau, Canada, May 15-
19, 2023. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under 
Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the 
importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain 
background information on the 47th Session of the CCFL and to address 
items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for April 11, 2023, from 1:00-
4:00 p.m. EDT.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place via Video Teleconference 
only. Documents related to the 47th Session of the CCFL will be 
accessible via the internet at the following address: https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/meetings/detail/en/?meeting=CCFL&session=47.
    Dr. Douglas Balentine, U.S. Delegate to the 47th Session of the 
CCFL, invites interested U.S. parties to submit their comments 
electronically to the following email address: 
[email protected].
    Registration: Attendees may register to attend the public meeting 
here: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIsc--upjwsHXeBUO4dR9xL9gyNKRgIcFs. After registering, you will receive a 
confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
    For further information about the 47th Session of the CCFL, contact 
U.S. Delegate, Dr. Douglas Balentine, Senior Science Advisor, 
International Nutrition Policy, 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) 672-7292; email: 
[email protected]. For further information about the public 
meeting, contact the U.S. Codex Office by email at: [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

[[Page 14595]]

and ensure fair practices in the food trade.
    The Terms of Reference of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling 
are:
    (a) to draft provisions on labeling applicable to all foods;
    (b) to consider, amend if necessary, and endorse draft specific 
provisions on labeling prepared by the Codex Committees drafting 
standards, codes of practice and guidelines;
    (c) to study specific labeling problems assigned to it by the 
Commission; and
    (d) to study problems associated with the advertisement of food 
with particular reference to claims and misleading descriptions.
    The CCFL is hosted by Canada. The United States attends the CCFL as 
a member country of Codex.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 47th Session of the CCFL 
will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Matters referred to the Committee by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission and/or other subsidiary bodies
 Matters of interest arising from FAO and WHO
 Consideration of labelling provisions in draft Codex standards 
(endorsement)
 Food Allergen Labelling
 Proposed draft revision to the General Standard for the 
Labelling of Prepackaged Foods--Provisions relevant to allergen 
labelling
 Proposed draft Guidance on Precautionary Allergen Labelling
 Proposed draft Guidance on the Provision of Food Information 
for Prepackaged Foods to be Offered via e-commerce: Amendment to the 
General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (supplementary 
text)
 Proposed draft Guidelines on the Use of Technology to Provide 
Food Information: Amendment to the General Standard for the Labelling 
of Prepackaged Foods
 Discussion Paper on the Labelling of alcoholic beverages
 Discussion Paper on the Labelling of foods in joint 
presentation and multipack formats
 Discussion Paper on Labelling exemptions in emergency 
situations
 Discussion Paper on Trans fatty acids
 Discussion Paper on the Sustainability labelling claims
 Discussion Paper on Future work and direction of CCFL
 Approach and criteria for evaluation and prioritization of 
work of CCFL

Public Meeting

    At the April 11, 2023 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 Dr. Douglas Balentine, U.S. 
Delegate for the 47th Session of the CCFL (see ADDRESSES). Written 
comments should state that they relate to activities of the 47th 
Session of the CCFL.

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 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.usda.gov/oascr/filing-program-discrimination-complaint-usda-customer, 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 March 3, 2023.
Mary Frances Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2023-04801 Filed 3-8-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P