Document

Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses

The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on November 1, 2019. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda item...

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Department of Agriculture

U.S. Codex Office

AGENCY:

U.S. Codex Office, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on November 1, 2019. 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 41st Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, in Dusseldorf, Germany, November 24-29, 2019. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 41st Session of the CCNFSDU and to address items on the agenda.

DATES:

The public meeting is scheduled for November 1, 2019, from 1:00-4:00 EDT.

ADDRESSES:

The public meeting will take place in Meeting Room 1A003, The Wiley Auditorium of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Harvey H. Wiley Building, 5001 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20740. Documents related to the 41st Session of the CCNFSDU will be accessible via the internet at the following address: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/meetings/en/. Dr. Douglas Balentine, U.S. Delegate to the 41st Session of the CCNFSDU, invites U.S. interested parties to submit their comments electronically to the following email address: douglas.balentine@fda.hhs.gov.

Call-In-Number: If you wish to participate in the public meeting for the 41st Session of the CCNFSDU by conference call, please register by emailing uscodex@usda.gov to receive the call-in number and participant code.

Registration: Attendees may register to attend the public meeting by emailing uscodex@usda.gov by October 30, 2019. Early registration is encouraged because it will expedite entry into the building. The meeting will take place 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, as discussed above.

For Further Information about the 41st Session of the CCNFSDU, contact U.S. Delegate, Dr. Douglas Balentine, Director, Office of Nutrition and Food Labelling, Center for Food Safety and ( printed page 49983) Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 5001 Campus Drive (HFS-830), College Park, MD 20740; phone: +1 (240) 402-2375; email: douglas.balentine@fda.hhs.gov.

For Further Information about the public meeting Contact:

U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4861, South Agriculture Building, Washington, DC 20250. Phone 202-720-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157, Email: uscodex@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

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 fair practices in the food trade.

The Terms of Reference of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) are:

(a) To study specific nutritional problems assigned to it by the Commission and advise the Commission on general nutrition issues;

(b) To draft general provisions, as appropriate, concerning the nutritional aspects of all foods;

(c) To develop standards, guidelines, or related texts for foods for special dietary uses, in cooperation with other committees where necessary;

(d) To consider, amend if necessary, and endorse provisions on nutritional aspects proposed for inclusion in Codex standards, guidelines, and related texts.

The CCNFSDU is hosted by Germany. The United States attends the CCNFSDU as a member country of Codex.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

The following items on the Agenda for the 41st Session of the CCNFSDU will be discussed during the public meeting:

Matters referred to the Committee by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and/or other subsidiary bodies
Matters of interest arising from FAO and WHO

Review of theStandard for Follow-up Formula (CXS 156-1987)

○ Draft scope, description, and labelling for follow-up formula for older infants

○ Essential composition requirements for follow-up formula for older infants and [product] for young children

○ Proposed draft product definition and labelling for [product] for young children

○ Proposed draft standard for follow-up formula for older infants and [product] for young children

Ready-to-use Therapeutic Foods

○ Proposed draft guidelines for Ready-to-use Therapeutic Foods

○ Section 5.2.2 (food additives) and Section 6.2 (proteins)

Trans-fatty acids (TFAs)

○ Proposed draft claim for “free” of trans fatty acids

Public Meeting

At the November 1, 2019 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 Dr. Douglas Balentine, U.S. Delegate for the 41st Session of the CCNFSDU (see ADDRESSES ). Written comments should state that they relate to activities of the 41st Session of the CCNFSDU.

Additional Public Notification

Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy development is important. Consequently, the U.S. Codex Office will announce this Federal Register publication on-line through the USDA web page located at: www.usda.gov/codex/, a link that also offers an email subscription service providing access to information related to Codex. Customers can add or delete their subscription 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 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: program.intake@usda.gov.

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).

Done at Washington, DC, on September 18, 2019.

Mary Lowe,

U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.

[FR Doc. 2019-20606 Filed 9-23-19; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE P

Legal Citation

Federal Register Citation

Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.

84 FR 49982

Web Citation

Suggested Web Citation

Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.

“Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses,” thefederalregister.org (September 24, 2019), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2019-20606/codex-alimentarius-commission-meeting-of-the-codex-committee-on-nutrition-and-foods-for-special-dietary-uses.