[Federal Register: July 25, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 142)]
[Notices]
[Page 42075-42076]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25jy06-19]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
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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[[Page 42075]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2006-0020]
Codex Alimentarius Commission: 13th Session of the Codex
Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting, request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Agricultural Marketing
Service (AMS) are sponsoring a public meeting on August 3, 2006 to
provide draft U.S. positions and receive public comments on agenda
items that will be discussed at the 13th Session of the Codex Committee
on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) of the Codex Alimentarius
Commission (Codex), which will be held in Mexico City, Mexico, on
September 25-29, 2006. The Under Secretary and AMS recognize the
importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to comment
on the agenda items that will be debated at this forthcoming Session of
the CCFFV.
DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 3, 2006,
from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 3074, USDA, South
Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC.
Documents related to the 13th Session of the CCFFV will be accessible
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp
.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) invites interested
persons to submit comments on this notice. Comments may be submitted by
any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to
type short comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or
attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov
and, in the ``Search for Open Regulations'' box, select ``Food Safety
and Inspection Service'' from the agency drop-down menu, then click on
``Submit.'' In the Docket ID column, select the FDMS Docket Number
FSIS-2006-0020 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting
and related materials available electronically.
Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROM's, and hand- or courier-
delivered items: Send to FSIS Docket Room, Docket Clerk, USDA, FSIS,
300 12th Street, SW., Room 102, Cotton Annex Building, Washington, DC
20250.
Electronic mail: fsis.regulationscomments@fsis.usda.gov.
All submissions received must include the Agency name and docket
number FSIS-2006-0020.
All comments submitted in response to this notice, as well as
research and background information used by FSIS in developing this
document, will be posted to the regulations.gov Web site. The
background information and comments also will be available for public
inspection in the FSIS Docket Room at the address listed above between
8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For Further Information About the 13th Session of the CCFFV Contact:
U.S. Delegate, Dorian Lafond, International Standards Coordinator,
Fruit and Vegetable Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA,
1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250, Phone: (202) 690-
4944, Fax: (202) 720-0016, E-mail: Dorian.Lafond@usda.gov.
For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Ellen Matten,
International Issues Analyst, U.S. Codex Office, USDA, FSIS, Room 4861,
South Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington,
DC 20250, Phone: (202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157. E-mail:
ellen.matten@fsis.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) was established in 1963
by two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Codex is
the major international organization for protecting the health and
economic interests of consumers and encouraging fair international
trade in food. 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 ensure
that the world's food supply is sound, wholesome, free from
adulteration, and correctly labeled. In the United States, USDA, The
Food and Drug Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency
manage and carry out U.S. Codex activities.
The Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables elaborates world
wide standards and codes of practice for fresh fruits and vegetables.
It consults with the UN/ECE Working Party on Agricultural Quality
Standards in the elaboration of world wide standards and codes of
practice with particular regard to ensuring that there is no
duplication of standards or codes of practice and that they follow the
same broad format. The Committee also consults, as necessary, with
other international organizations which are active in the area of
standardization of fresh fruits and vegetables. The Committee is hosted
by the government of Mexico.
Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting
The following items on the agenda for the 13th Session of CCFFV
will be discussed during the public meeting:
Matters referred to the Committee from other Codex bodies.
Proposed Layout for Codex Standards for Fresh Fruits and
Vegetables.
Draft Codex Standard for Table Grapes (maturity
requirements and list of small berry varieties).
Draft Codex Standard for Tomatoes (provisions for sizing
and size codes).
Proposed Draft Codex Standard for Apples.
Proposed Draft Standard for Bitter Cassava.
Proposed Guidelines for the Quality Control of Fresh
Fruits and Vegetables.
Report on the need for partial or total revision of the
Codex Standard for Avocado.
[[Page 42076]]
Proposals for Amendments to the Priority List for the
Standardization of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.
Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed,
or to be distributed, by the Mexican Secretariat to the Meeting.
Members of the public may access or request copies of these documents
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp
.
Public Meeting
At the August 3, 2006 public meeting, draft U.S. positions on these
agenda items will be described, discussed, and attendees will have the
opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. Written comments may
be offered at the meeting or sent to the U.S. Delegate for the 13th
Session of CCFFV, Dorian Lafond (see For Further Information About the
13TH Session of the CCFFV Contact). Written comments should state that
they relate to activities of the 13th Session of the CCFFV.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that
minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this
notice, FSIS will announce it on-line through the FSIS Web Page located
at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/2006_Notices_Index/. FSIS
also will make copies of this Federal Register publication available
through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide
information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal
Register notices, FSIS public meetings, recalls and other types of
information that could affect or would be of interest to constituents
and stakeholders. The update is communicated via Listserv, a free
electronic mail subscription service for industry, trade and farm
groups, consumer interest groups, allied health professionals and other
individuals who have asked to be included. The update is available on
the FSIS Web page. Through the Listserv and Web page, FSIS is able to
provide information to a much broader and more diverse audience. In
addition, FSIS offers an e-mail subscription service which provides
automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and
information. This service is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_and_events/email_
subscription/. Options range from recalls to
export information to regulations, directives and notices. Customers
can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the option to
password protect their account.
Done at Washington, DC, on July 20, 2006.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. E6-11787 Filed 7-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P