Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113; FAX: (202) 690-0460
Crystal Straughn

Public Meetings To Address Codex Committee On Food Imports and Exports

WASHINGTON, October 8, 2003—The Office of the Undersecretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture, today announced two public meetings in anticipation of the meeting of Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS).

The CCFICS was established to develop principles and guidelines for food import and export inspection and certification systems to facilitate trade through harmonization in order to supply safe and wholesome foods to consumers. The CCFICS develops applicable principles and guidelines to provide assurance that foods comply with essential requirements. The CCFICS committee will meet December 1-5 in Brisbane, Australia.

Codex was created in 1963 by two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). 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 work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations.

The first public meeting to review and receive comments toward redevelopment of draft U.S. positions will be held October 22, 2003, from 1- 4 p.m. The second public meeting will be held on November 12, 2003, from 1-3 p.m. Both meetings will be held in Room 1A001 of the Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD. Agenda items for the meetings include: proposed draft revisions to the Codex Guidelines for the Exchange of Information on Food Control Emergency Situations; discussion paper on traceability/product tracing in the context of food import and export inspection and certification systems; and discussion paper on the judgment of equivalence of technical regulations associated with food inspection and certification systems.

To submit comments or to receive copies of documents on the agenda, contact the FSIS Docket Room, Docket #03-034N, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102, Cotton Annex, 300 12^th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700. The documents are also available electronically at http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.

Persons requiring a sign language interpreter or other special accommodations should Edith Kennard, at (202) 720-5261.

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FSIS Congressional and Public Affairs Staff
Phone: (202) 720-9113
Fax: (202) 690-0460

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