[Federal Register: March 2, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 42)]
[Notices]
[Page 13037-13038]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02mr01-33]
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[[Page 13037]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 01-006N]
Codex Alimentarius Commission: 29th Session of the Codex
Committee on Food Labelling
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 Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are
sponsoring two public meetings, on Friday, March 16, 2001, and one on
Wednesday, April 11, 2001. The purpose of this meeting is to provide
information and receive public comments on agenda items that will be
discussed at the 29th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling
(CCFL), which will be held in Ottawa, Canada, April 30 to May 4, 2001.
The Under Secretary and FDA recognize the importance of providing
interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on
the 29th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling and address
items on the agenda.
DATES: The public meetings are scheduled for Friday, March 16, 2001
from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Wednesday, April 11, 2001 from 2:00
p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held in Room 1813, Federal
Office Building 8, Food and Drug Administration, 200 C. St. SW.,
Washington, DC 20204. To receive copies of the documents referenced in
this notice, contact the FSIS Docket Room, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102 Cotton Annex,
300 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3700. The documents will
also be accessible via the World Wide Web at the following address:
http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/ECONOMIC/esn/codex/ccfl29/
fl01_01e.htm. Submit one original and two copies of written comments to
the FSIS Docket Room at the address above and reference docket number
01-006N. All comments submitted in response to this notice will be
available for public inspection in the FSIS Docket Room between 8:30
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick J. Clerkin, Associate U.S.
Manager for Codex, U.S. Codex Office, Food Safety and Inspection
Service, Room 4861, South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20250. Telephone (202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) was established in 1962
by two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Codex is
the major international organization for encouraging fair international
trade in food and protecting the health and economic interests of
consumers. 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.
The Codex Committee on Food Labelling drafts provisions on
labelling applicable to all foods; considers and endorses draft
specific provisions on labelling prepared by the Codex Committees
drafting standards, codes of practice, and guidelines; studies problems
associated with the advertisement of food with particular reference to
claims and misleading descriptions; and responds to specific labeling
problems assigned to it by the Commission. The Committee is chaired by
Canada.
Issues To Be Discussed at the First Public Meeting
The provisional agenda items to be discussed during the public
meeting on March 16, 2001:
1. Matters Referred from other Codex Committees
2. Consideration of Labelling Provisions in Draft Codex Standards
3. Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing
of Organically Produced Foods:
(a) Sections on Bees and on Additives
(b) Proposed Draft Amendment: Table 1: Substances for Use in Soil
Fertilizing and Conditioning
4. Draft Amendment to the General Standard for the Labelling of
Prepackaged Foods (Class Names)
5. Proposed Draft Amendment to the Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling
(Section 3.2 Listing of Nutrients)
6. Proposed Draft Recommendations for the Use of Health Claims
7. Proposed Draft Amendment to the General Standard for the Labelling
of Prepackaged Foods: Quantitative Declaration of Ingredients
8. Discussion Paper on Country of Origin Labeling
Issues To Be Discussed at the Second Public Meeting
The provisional agenda items to be discussed during the public
meeting on April 11, 2001:
1. Draft Recommendations for the Labelling of Foods obtained through
Certain Techniques of Genetic Modification/Genetic Engineering
(Proposed Draft Amendment to the General Standard for the Labelling of
Prepackaged Foods): Definitions
2. Draft Recommendations for the Labelling of Foods obtained through
Certain Techniques of Genetic Modification/Genetic Engineering
(Proposed Draft Amendment to the General Standard for the Labelling of
Prepackaged Foods): Section 5--Additional Mandatory Labelling
Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed,
or to be distributed, by the Canadian Secretariat to the Meeting.
Members of the public may access or review copies of these documents
(see ADDRESSES).
Public Meeting
At the March 16th public meeting, the CCFL agenda items other than
those pertaining to Labelling of Foods
[[Page 13038]]
obtained through Certain Techniques of Genetic Modification/Genetic
Engineering will be described, discussed, and attendees will have the
opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. At the April 11th
public meeting, the agenda items pertaining to Labelling of Foods
obtained through Certain Techniques of Genetic Modification/Genetic
Engineering will be described, discussed, and attendees will have the
opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. Written comments
should state that they relate to activities of the 29th CCFL.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to better ensure
that minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this
notice, FSIS will announce it and provide copies of this Federal
Register publication in the FSIS Constituent Update. FSIS provides a
weekly FSIS Constituent Update, which is communicated via fax to over
300 organizations and individuals. In addition, the update is available
on-line through the FSIS web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov.
The update is used to provide information regarding FSIS policies,
procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS public
meetings, recalls, and any other types of information that could affect
or would be of interest to our constituents/stakeholders. The
constituent fax list consists of industry, trade, and farm groups,
consumer interest groups, allied health professionals, scientific
professionals, and other individuals that have requested to be
included. Through these various channels, FSIS is able to provide
information to a much broader, more diverse audience. For more
information and to be added to the constituent fax list, fax your
request to the Congressional and Public Affairs Office, at (202) 720-
5704.
Done at Washington, DC on February 6, 2001.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 01-5036 Filed 3-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P
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