[Federal Register: April 21, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 77)]
[Notices]
[Page 21304-21305]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21ap08-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2008-0012]
Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Agricultural Marketing Service
(AMS), USDA, are sponsoring a public meeting on April 25, 2008. The
objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive
public comments on agenda items and draft United States positions that
will be discussed at the 14th 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, from May 12-17,
2008. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and AMS recognize the
importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain
background information on the 14th Session of the CCFFV and to address
items on the agenda.
DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 25, 2008, at
10 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 2068, USDA South
Building, at 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250.
Documents related to the 14th Session of the CCFFV will be accessible
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://
www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
The U.S. Delegate to the 14th Session of the CCFFV, Mr. Dorian
LaFond, AMS, invites interested U.S. parties to submit their comments
electronically to the following e-mail address: dorian.lafond@usda.gov.
Registration: You may register electronically to
dorian.lafond@usda.gov. Early registration is encouraged because it
will expedite entry into the building. Because the meeting will be held
in a Federal building, you should also bring photo identification and
plan for adequate time to pass through security screening systems.
For Further Information About the 14th CCFFV Session Contact: Mr.
Dorian LaFond, International Standards Coordinator, AMS, Fruit and
Vegetable Programs, Stop 0235, 1400 Independence Ave, SW., Washington,
DC 20250, Phone: (202) 690-4944, e-mail: dorian.lafond@usda.gov.
For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Syed Ali,
Staff Officer, U.S. Codex Office, Food Safety and Inspection Service
(FSIS), Room 4861, South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20250, Phone: (202) 720-0574, Fax: (202) 720-3157, e-
mail: syed.ali@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 and the World Health Organization. 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
that fair practices are used in trade. The CCFFV elaborates world wide
standards and codes of practice for fresh fruits and vegetables. The
CCFFV is hosted by Mexico.
Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting
The following items on the agenda for the 14th CCFFV Session will
be discussed during the public meeting:
Matters referred to the CCFFV from the Codex Alimentarius
Commission and other Codex bodies.
Matters arising from other international organizations on
the Standardization of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.
Proposed Layout for Codex Standards for Fresh Fruits and
Vegetables.
Draft Codex Standard for Tomatoes.
[[Page 21305]]
Draft Sections 3--Provisions Concerning Sizing (Draft
Standard for Tomatoes).
Draft Codex Standard for Bitter Cassava.
Draft Codex Guidelines for the Inspection and
Certification of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Conformity to Quality
Standards.
Proposed Draft Codex Standard for Apples.
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 Secretariat prior 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 April 25, 2008, 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 sent electronically to the U.S. Delegate for the 14th CCFFV
Session, Dorian LaFond, at dorian.lafond@usda.gov. Written comments
should state that they relate to activities of the 14th CCFFV Session.
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 online through the FSIS Web page located
at (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/2008_Notices_Index/. FSIS
will also 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, 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 groups,
consumer interest groups, health professionals, and other individuals
who have asked to be included. The Update is also 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_&_events/
email_subscription/. Options range from recalls to export information
to regulations, directives and notices. Customers can add or delete
subscriptions themselves, and they have the option to password protect
their accounts.
Done at Washington, DC, on: April 15, 2008.
Paulo M. Almeida,
Acting U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. E8-8473 Filed 4-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P