Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Bridgette Keefe

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2006 - The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture, today announced a public meeting to provide information and receive comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, July 3-7, 2006.

The public meeting will be held from 1-4 p.m. on Thursday, June 15, 2006, in Room 107-A, J.L. Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, D.C.

Agenda items and documents relating to the 29th Session of the CAC will be accessible prior to the meeting at http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.

Codex was created in 1963 by two United Nations organizations: the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. Codex develops food standards, guidelines and codes of practice in order to protect the health of consumers, ensure fair food trade practices and promote coordination of food standards undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations.

The public is invited to submit comments on this meeting notice. Comments may be submitted by mail or electronic mail and will be posted on FSIS' Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/2006_notices_index/.

For further information concerning the 29th Session of the CAC, contact F. Edward Scarbrough, U.S. Manager for Codex, USDA, by phone at (202) 205-7760 or by fax at (202) 720-3157.

Persons requesting a sign language interpreter or any other special accommodations for the public meeting should contact Jasmine Matthews, U.S. Codex Office, by phone at (202) 205-7760 or by fax at (202) 720-3157.