[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53038-53039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13850]


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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. 89, No. 122 / Tuesday, June 25, 2024 / 
Notices  

[[Page 53038]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

U.S. Codex Office


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

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 
September 3, 2024. 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 44th Session of the Codex Committee on 
Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU44) of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which will convene in Dresden, Germany, 
from October 2-6, 2024. 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 44th Session of the CCNFSDU and to 
address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for September 3, 2024, from 
1:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place via Video Teleconference 
only. Documents related to the 44th Session of the CCNFSDU will be 
accessible via the internet at the following address: https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/meetings/detail/en/?meeting=CCNFSDU&session=44.
    Dr. Douglas Balentine, U.S. Delegate to the 44th Session of the 
CCNFSDU, 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/vJItceuoqz4oHyMYdr-E7FAIhAe9uJbwt7w. After registering, you will receive a confirmation 
email containing information about joining the meeting.
    For further information about the 44th Session of the CCNFSDU, 
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, by phone at (240) 672-
7292 or email at [email protected]. For an additional 
information about the public meeting, contact the U.S. Codex Office by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Codex Alimentarius Commission 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 Terms of Reference of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and 
Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) are:
    (a) To study specific nutritional problems assigned to it by the 
Commission and advise the Commission on general nutrition issues;
    (b) To draft general provisions, as appropriate, concerning the 
nutritional aspects of all foods;
    (c) To develop standards, guidelines, or related texts for foods 
for special dietary uses, in cooperation with other committees where 
necessary;
    (d) To consider, amend if necessary, and endorse provisions on 
nutritional aspects proposed for inclusion in Codex standards, 
guidelines, and related texts.
    The CCNFSDU is hosted by Germany. The United States attends the 
CCNFSDU as a member country of Codex.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items from the Agenda for the 44th Session of the 
CCNFSDU will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Matters referred to the Committee by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission and/or its subsidiary bodies
 Matters arising from FAO and WHO
 Nutrient Reference Values--Requirements (NRVs-R) for persons 
aged 6-36 months
 General principles for the establishment of NRVs-R for persons 
aged 6-36 months
 Technological justification for several food additives
 Prioritization mechanism/emerging issues or new work proposals
 Guideline for the preliminary assessment to identify and 
prioritize new work for CCNFSDU
 Proposals for new work/emerging issues (replies to CL 2024/52-
NFSDU)
 Discussion paper on harmonized probiotic guidelines for use in 
foods and food supplements
 Review of texts under the purview of CCNFSDU
 Discussion paper on the use of fructans, beta-carotene, 
lycopene in Standard for Infant Formula and Formulas for Special 
Medical Purposes Intended for Infants (CXS 72-1981)
 Discussion paper on methods of assessing the sweetness of 
carbohydrate sources in the Standard for Follow-up Formula (CXS 156-
1987)
 Other business and future work

Public Meeting

    At the September 3, 2024, 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 to the 44th Session of the CCNFSDU, at 
[email protected]. Written comments should state that they 
relate to activities of the 44th 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 USDA 
Codex web page located at: http://www.usda.gov/codex, a link that

[[Page 53039]]

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.

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 June 18, 2024.
Mary Frances Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2024-13850 Filed 6-24-24; 8:45 am]
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