[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 53 (Monday, March 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11954-11955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05514]
========================================================================
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.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 53 / Monday, March 19, 2018 /
Notices
[[Page 11954]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2018-0007]
Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on
Methods of Analysis and Sampling
AGENCY: Office of Food Safety, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Food
Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) are sponsoring a public meeting on
April 6, 2018. The objective of the public meeting is to provide
information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft
United States (U.S.) positions to be discussed at the 39th Session of
the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) of the
Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), taking place in Budapest,
Hungary, between May 7 and 11, 2018. The Acting Deputy Under Secretary,
Office of Food Safety and the FDA recognize the importance of providing
interested parties with the opportunity to obtain background
information on the 39th Session of the CCMAS and to address items on
the agenda.
DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 6, 2018, 10:30
a.m.-12:30 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place at the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA), Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 107-
A, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250. Documents related
to the 39th Session of the CCMAS will be accessible via the internet at
the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/.
Dr. Gregory O. Noonan, U.S. Delegate to the 39th Session of the
CCMAS, invites U.S. interested parties to submit their comments
electronically to the following email address:
[email protected].
Call-in-Number
If you wish to participate in the public meeting for the 39th
Session of the CCMAS by conference call, please use the call-in-number
listed below:
Call-in-Number: 1-888-844-9904.
Access Code: 5126092#.
Registration: Attendees may register to attend the public meeting
by emailing [email protected] by April 4, 2018. Early
registration is encouraged because it will expedite entry into the
building. The meeting will be held in a Federal building. Attendees
should bring photo identification and plan for adequate time to pass
through the security screening systems. Attendees who are not able to
attend the meeting in person, but who wish to participate, may do so by
phone.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: About the 39th session of the CCMAS:
Gregory O. Noonan, Ph.D., Research Chemist, Center for Food Safety and
Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Food and Drug Administration, Harvey W.
Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD
20740 Phone: (240) 402-2250, Fax: (301) 436-2634, Email:
[email protected].
About the public meeting: Doreen Chen-Moulec, U.S. Codex Office,
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4867, South Agriculture Building,
Washington, DC 20250. Phone: (202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157,
Email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The 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 CCMAS is responsible for defining the criteria appropriate to
Codex Methods of Analysis and Sampling; serving as a coordinating body
for Codex with other international groups working in methods of
analysis and sampling and quality assurance systems for laboratories;
specifying, on the basis of final recommendations submitted to it by
other bodies, referred to above, reference methods of analysis and
sampling appropriate to Codex Standards which are generally applicable
to a number of foods; considering, amending, and if necessary
endorsing, as appropriate, methods of analysis and sampling proposed by
Codex (Commodity) Committees, except that methods of analysis and
sampling for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in food, and
the assessment of microbiological quality and safety on food, and the
assessment of specifications for food additives, do not fall within the
terms of reference of this Committee); elaborating sampling plans and
procedures, as required; considering specific sampling and analysis
problems submitted to it by the Commission or any of its Committees;
defining procedures, protocols, guidelines, or related texts for the
assessment of food laboratory proficiency, as well as quality assurance
systems for laboratories.
The CCMAS is hosted by Hungary and the meeting is attended by the
United States as a member country of Codex.
Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting
The following items on the Agenda for the 39th Session of the CCMAS
will be discussed during the public meeting:
Matters Referred to the Committee by the Codex
Alimentarius Commission and Other Subsidiary Bodies;
Endorsement of Methods of Analysis Provisions and Sampling
Plans in Codex Standards;
Revision of the Recommended Methods of Codex Stan 234/
review and update of Codex Stan 234;
Criteria for endorsement of biological methods used to
detect chemicals of concern;
Proposal to amend the Guidelines on Measurement
Uncertainty;
Proposal to amend the General Guidelines on Sampling
Report of an Inter-Agency Meeting on Methods of Analysis;
and
Other Business and Future Work.
[[Page 11955]]
Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed,
or to be distributed, by the Secretariat before to the Committee
Meeting. Members of the public may access or request copies of these
documents (see ADDRESSES).
Public Meeting
At the April 6, 2018, 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 offered at the meeting or sent to the U.S. Delegate for the 39th
Session of the CCMAS, Gregory Noonan (see ADDRESSES).
Written comments should state that they relate to activities of the
39th Session of the CCMAS.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal
Register publication on-line through the FSIS web page located at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
FSIS also will make copies of this 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 our constituents and
stakeholders. The Update is available on the FSIS web page. Through the
web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more
diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email 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/subscribe. Options range from recalls to export
information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or
delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password
protect their accounts.
USDA Non-Discrimination Statement
No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status,
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs,
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or
activity conducted by the USDA.
How To File a Complaint of Discrimination
To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your
authorized representative.
Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax,
or email:
Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410.
Fax: (202) 690-7442.
Email: [email protected].
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
Paulo Almeida,
Acting U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2018-05514 Filed 3-16-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P