[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69685-69686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32286]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 99-061N]
Codex Alimentarius: Eighth Session of the Codex Committee on Food
Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS)
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, and the
Food Safety and Inspection Service, United States Department of
Agriculture; and the Food and Drug Administration, United States
Department of Health and Human Services, are sponsoring two public
meetings to provide information and receive public comments on issues
that will be discussed at the CCFICS, which will be held in Adelaide,
Australia, February 21-25, 2000. The Departments recognize the
importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain
background information on the Eighth Session of the CCFICS and to
address items on the Agenda.
DATES: The first public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 13,
2000, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to review the technical content of
the various documents coming before the Session. The second public
meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 10, 2000, from 1:00 p.m. to
4:00 p.m. to review the U.S. Government positions on the agenda items.
ADDRESSES: Both public meetings will be held in Room 1409, Federal
Office Building 8, 200 C Street SW, Washington, DC (Metro Rail Stop is
Federal Center SW)
Send an original and two copies of comments to: FSIS Docket Clerk,
Docket #99-061N, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and
Inspection Service, Room 102, Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street SW,
Washington, DC 20250-3700. Comments should be submitted by February 4,
2000. All comments submitted in response to this notice will be
available for public inspection in the Docket Clerk's Office 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 20250-3700, Phone: (202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157.
Persons requiring a sign language interpreter or other special
accommodations should notify Mr. Clerkin at the above numbers.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Codex was established in 1962 by two United Nations organizations,
the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health
Organization. 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 Import and Export Inspection and
Certification Systems was established to develop principles and
guidelines for food import and export inspection and certification
systems to facilitate trade through harmonization and to supply safe,
high quality foods to consumers. Recognition of quality assurance
systems through the development of guidelines will help ensure that
foods conform to the essential requirements.
Issues to be Discussed at both Public Meetings
Proposed Draft Guidelines/Recommendations for Food Import
Control Systems
Proposed Draft Guidelines and Criteria for Official
Certificate Formats and Rules Relating to the Production and Issuance
of Certificates
Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Utilization and
Promotion of Quality Assurance Systems
Discussion Paper on the Judgement of Equivalence on
Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection and Certification
Systems
Discussion Paper on the Judgement on Equivalence of
Technical Regulations Associated with Food Inspection and Certification
Systems
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
these public meetings, FSIS will announce them 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.
[[Page 69686]]
Done at Washington, DC, on; December 6, 1999.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex.
[FR Doc. 99-32286 Filed 12-13-99; 8:45 am]
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