[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 154 (Friday, August 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65312-65313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17772]


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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.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on 
October 9, 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 48th Session of the Codex Committee on 
Food Labelling (CCFL48) of the Codex Alimentarius

[[Page 65313]]

Commission (CAC). CCFL48 will be held in Quebec City, Canada, from 
October 27-November 1, 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 48th Session of the 
CCFL and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for October 9, 2024, from 1-4 
p.m. ET.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place via Video Teleconference 
only. Documents related to the 48th 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=48.
    Dr. Douglas Balentine, U.S. Delegate to the 48th 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/vJItdeGspz4sGTffT2fy17VYU0VHQWyD2eg. After registering, you will 
receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the 
meeting.
    For further information about the 48th 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

    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 Food Labelling 
(CCFL) 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 from the agenda for the 48th Session of the 
CCFL will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Matters referred to the Committee by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission and/or its subsidiary bodies
 Matters of interest from FAO and WHO
 Consideration of labeling provisions in draft Codex Standards 
(endorsement)
 Food allergen labeling
 Revision to the General Standard for the Labelling of Pre-
packaged Foods (CXS 1-1985): Provisions relevant to allergen labeling
 Guidelines on the use of precautionary allergen labeling
 Guidelines on the provision of food information for pre-
packaged foods to be offered via e-commerce
 Guidelines on the use of technology to provide food 
information in food labeling
 Amendments to the General Standard for the Labelling of Pre-
packaged Foods (CXS 1-1985): Provisions relevant to joint presentation 
and multipack formats
 Discussion Papers on the following:
    [cir] Labeling of alcoholic beverages
    [cir] Application of food labeling provisions in emergencies
    [cir] Trans fatty acids (TFAs)
    [cir] Sustainability labeling claims
    [cir] Sugar Labeling--definition for ``added sugars''
 Future work and emerging issues
 Approach and criteria for evaluation and prioritization of the 
work of CCFL
 Other business

Public Meeting

    At the October 9, 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 48th Session of the CCFL, at 
[email protected]. Written comments should state that they 
relate to activities of the 48th 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 
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.

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 August 6, 2024.
Julie A. Chao,
Deputy U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2024-17772 Filed 8-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3420-3F-P