Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 22 / Tuesday, February 3, 2004 / Notices 5117

be of interest to our constituents/

stakeholders. The constituent Listserv 

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 

the Listserv and web page, FSIS is able 

to provide information to a much 

broader, more diverse audience. 

For more information contact the 

Congressional and Public Affairs Office, 

at (202) 720–9113. To be added to the 

free e-mail subscription service 

(Listserv) go to the ‘‘Constituent 

Update’’ page on the Internet at http://

www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/update/

update.htm. Click on the ‘‘Subscribe to 

the Constituent Update Listserv’’ link, 

then fill out and submit the form.

Done at Washington, DC, on January 29, 

2004. 

Garry L. McKee, 

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 04–2136 Filed 2–2–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

[Docket No. 03–043N] 

Notice of Request for Extension of a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection (Procedures for Notification 

of New Technology)

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection 

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) regulations, this notice 

announces the Food Safety and 

Inspection Service’s (FSIS) intention to 

request an extension for a currently 

approved information collection 

package (ICP) regarding Procedures for 

Notification of New Technology.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received on or before April 5, 2004. 

Additional Information or Comments:

Contact John O’Connell, Paperwork 

Reduction Act Coordinator, Food Safety 

and Inspection Service, USDA, 300 12th 

Street, SW., Room 112, Washington, DC 

20250–3700, (202) 720–0345.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Procedures for Notification of 

New Technology. 

OMB Number: 0583–0127. 

Expiration Date of Approval: 2/29/

2004. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: FSIS has been delegated the 

authority to exercise the functions of the 

Secretary as specified in the Federal 

Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 

601 et seq.), the Poultry Products 

Inspection Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451 et 

seq.), and the Egg Products Inspection 

Act (EPIA) (21 U.S.C. 1031 et seq.). 

These statutes mandate that FSIS 

protect the public by taking regulatory 

actions to provide that meat, poultry, 

and egg products are safe, wholesome, 

unadulterated, and properly labeled and 

packaged. 

FSIS is requesting an extension to the 

ICP addressing paperwork and 

recordkeeping requirements regarding 

the procedures for notification of new 

technology. 

FSIS has established procedures for 

notifying the Agency of any new 

technology intended for use in official 

establishments and plants. To follow the 

procedures, establishments, plants, and 

firms that manufacture and sell 

technology to official establishments 

and plants notify the Agency by 

submitting documents describing the 

operation and purpose of the new 

technology. The documents should 

explain why the new technology will 

not: adversely affect the safety of the 

product, jeopardize the safety of Federal 

inspection personnel, interfere with 

inspection procedures, or require a 

waiver to a regulation. In addition, if the 

new technology could adversely affect 

the safety of the product, jeopardize the 

safety of Federal inspection personnel, 

interfere with inspection procedures, or 

require a waiver to a regulation, 

submitters are to provide a protocol for 

an in-plant trial as part of a pre-use 

review. FSIS expects the submitter of a 

protocol to provide data to the Agency 

throughout the duration of the in-plant 

trial. 

Estimate of Burden: The public 

reporting burden for this collection of 

information is estimated to average 25 

hours per response. 

Respondents: Official establishments 

and plants; firms that manufacture or 

sell technology. 

Estimated Number of Respondents:

290. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 8,400. Copies of this 

information collection assessment can 

be obtained from John O’Connell, 

Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, 

Food Safety and Inspection Service, 

USDA, 300 12th Street, SW., Room 112, 

Washington, DC 20250–3700, (202) 720–

5627, (202) 720–0345. 

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of FSIS’ functions, including whether 

the information will have practical 

utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS’ estimate 

of the burden of the proposed collection 

of information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 

and clarity of the information to be 

collected; ways to minimize the burden 

of the collection of information on those 

who are to respond, including through 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques, or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments may be sent to both John 

O’Connell, Paperwork Reduction Act 

Coordinator, at the address provided 

above, and the Desk Officer for 

Agriculture, Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs, Office of 

Management and Budget, Washington, 

DC 20253. 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

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 

make copies of this Federal Register

publication available through the FSIS 

Constituent Update. FSIS provides a 

weekly Constituent Update, which is 

communicated via Listserv, a free e-mail 

subscription service. In addition, the 

update is available on-line through the 

Internet 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 Listserv 

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 

the Listserv and web page, FSIS is able 

to provide information to a much 

broader, more diverse audience. 

For more information contact the 

Congressional and Public Affairs Office, 

at (202) 720–9113. To be added to the 

free e-mail subscription service 

(Listserv) go to the ‘‘Constituent 

5118 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 22 / Tuesday, February 3, 2004 / Notices 

Update’’ page on the Internet at http://

www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/update/

update.htm. Click on the ‘‘Subscribe to 

the Constituent Update Listserv’’ link, 

then fill out and submit the form.

Done at Washington, DC, on January 29, 

2004. 

Garry L. McKee, 

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 04–2137 Filed 2–2–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

[Docket No. 03–044N] 

Codex Alimentarius Commission: 

Twenty-sixth Session of the Codex 

Committee on Methods of Analysis 

and Sampling

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection 

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Office of the Under 

Secretary for Food Safety, of the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture and the Food 

and Drug Administration, of the 

Department of Health and Human 

Services, are sponsoring a public 

meeting on February 10, 2004, to review 

the technical contents of the agenda 

item documents and to receive 

comments on all issues coming before 

the Twenty-sixth Session of the Codex 

Committee on Methods of Analysis and 

Sampling, which will be held in 

Budapest, Hungary, March 8–12, 2004.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled 

for Tuesday, February 10, 2004 from 10 

a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be 

held in the Harvey Wiley Federal 

Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, 

College Park, Maryland 20740, 

Conference Room 1A 002. 

To receive copies of the documents 

relevant to this notice, contact the Food 

Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) 

Docket Clerk, 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.codexalimentarius.net.

Send comments (an original and two 

copies) to the FSIS Docket Clerk and 

reference Docket #03–044N. 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:

Syed Amjad Ali, International Issues 

Analyst, U.S. Codex Office, FSIS, Room 

4861, South Agriculture Building, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–3700, telephone 

(202) 205–7760; Fax (202) 720–3157. 

Persons requiring a sign language 

interpreter or other special 

accommodations should notify Dr. 

Gregory Diachenko, Director, Division of 

Chemistry Research and Environmental 

Review, FDA, at telephone (301) 436–

1898; Fax (301) 436–2634.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Codex Alimentarius Commission 

(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 Methods of 

Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) 

performs multiple functions; defines 

criteria appropriate for Codex Methods 

of Analysis and Sampling; specifies 

reference methods of analysis and 

sampling; endorses methods of analysis 

and sampling proposed by Codex 

Committees; elaborates sampling plans; 

and considers specific sampling and 

analysis problems. The Government of 

Hungary hosts this committee and will 

chair the Committee meeting. 

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public 

Meeting 

The following specific issues will be 

discussed during the public meeting: 

• Matters referred by the Codex 

Alimentarius Commission and other 

Codex Committees. 

• Proposed Draft General Guidelines 

on Sampling. 

• Proposed Draft Guidelines on 

Measurement Uncertainty. 

• Proposed Draft Guidelines for 

Evaluating Acceptable Methods of 

Analysis. 

• Proposed Draft Guidelines for 

Settling Disputes on Analytical (Test) 

Results. 

• Criteria for Methods of Analysis for 

Foods Derived from Biotechnology. 

• The Use of Analytical Results: 

Sampling, Relationship between the 

Analytical Results, the Measurement 

Uncertainty, Recovery Factors and the 

Provisions in Codex Standards. 

• Endorsement of Methods of 

Analysis and Sampling, including 

General Methods Provisions in Codex 

Standards. 

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 

make copies of this Federal Register

publication available through the FSIS 

Constituent Update. FSIS provides a 

weekly Constituent Update, which is 

communicated via Listserv, a free e-mail 

subscription service. 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 Listserv 

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 

the Listserv and web page, FSIS is able 

to provide information to a much 

broader, more diverse audience. 

For more information contact the 

Congressional and Public Affairs Office, 

at (202) 720–9113. To be added to the 

free e-mail subscription service 

(Listserv) go to the ‘‘Constituent 

Update’’ page on the FSIS Web site at 

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/update/

update.htm. Click on the ‘‘Subscribe to 

the Constituent Update Listserv’’ link, 

then fill out and submit the form.

Done at Washington, DC, on January 29, 

2004. 

F. Edward Scarbrough, 

U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.

[FR Doc. 04–2132 Filed 2–2–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P