[Federal Register: March 2, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 42)]
[Notices]
[Page 13038-13039]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02mr01-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 01-004N]
Codex Alimentarius Commission: 2nd Session, Ad Hoc
Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived From Biotechnology
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 Tuesday, February 13, and on
Wednesday, March 7, 2001. The purpose of these meetings is to provide
information and receive public comments on draft United States'
positions and agenda items that will be discussed at the 2nd Session of
the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived From
Biotechnology, which will be held in Chiba, Japan, March 25-29, 2001.
The Under Secretary and FDA recognize the importance of providing
interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on
the 2nd Session, Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived
From Biotechnology, and address items on the agenda.
DATES: The public meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, February 13,
2001, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and on Wednesday, March 7, 2001, 1 p.m. to
4 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Conference Room 1409,
Federal Office Building 8, Food and Drug Administration, 200 C Street,
SW., Washington, DC 20204. Reference documents will be available for
review in 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/ccfbt2/bt01_01e.htm. Submit one
original and two copies of written comments to the FSIS Docket Room at
the address above and reference docket number 01-004N. 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.
Persons requiring a sign language interpreter or other special
accommodations should notify Mr. Clerkin at the above number.
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. Codex, at its 23rd Session, established the Ad
Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived From Biotechnology to
develop standards, guidelines, or recommendations, as appropriate, for
foods derived from biotechnology or traits introduced into foods by
biotechnology, on the basis of scientific evidence, risk analysis and
having regard, where appropriate, to other legitimate factors relevant
to the health of consumers and the promotion of fair trade practices.
The Task Force is chaired by the government of Japan.
Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meetings
The provisional agenda items and the relevant documents to be
discussed during the public meetings:
1. Adoption of the Agenda, Document CX/FBT 01/1
2. Matters Referred to the Task Force by Other Codex Committees,
Document CX/FBT 01/2
3. Matters of Interest from Other International Organizations with
respect to the Evaluation of the Safety and Nutrition Aspects of Foods
Derived from Biotechnology, Document CX/FBT 01/3
4. Consideration of Proposed Draft General Principles for the Risk
Analysis of Foods Derived from Modern Biotechnology at Step 4, Document
CX/FBT 01/4, and
[[Page 13039]]
Comments submitted at Step 3, Document CX/FBT 01/4 Add.1
5. Consideration of Proposed Draft Guideline for the Conduct of Safety
Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants at Step 4,
Document CX/FBT 01/5, and Comments submitted at Step 3, Document CX/FBT
01/5 Add.1
6. Discussion Paper on Traceability, Document CX/FBT 01/6
7. Information Paper on Familiarity, Document CX/FBT 01/7
8. Consideration of Analytical Methods, Document CX/FBT 01/8
9. Other Business, Future Work and Date and Place of Next Session
In advance of these meetings, the U.S. Delegate to the Task Force
will have assigned responsibility for development of U.S. positions on
these issues to members of government. The individuals assigned
responsibility will be named at these meetings and will take comment on
and develop draft U.S positions. All interested parties are invited to
provide information and comments on the above issues, or on any other
issues that may be brought before the Task Force.
Public Meetings
At the February 13th public meeting, the issues will be described,
discussed, and attendees will have the opportunity to pose questions
and offer comments. At the March 7th public meeting, draft United
States' positions on the issues will be described, discussed, and
attendees will have the opportunity to pose questions and offer
comments. Please state that your comments relate to Task Force
activities and specify which issues your comments address.
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. 01-5037 Filed 3-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P
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