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.

Notices Federal Register

8882 

Vol. 86, No. 26 

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

U.S. Codex Office 

Codex Alimentarius Commission: 

Meeting of the Codex Committee on 

Methods of Analysis and Sampling 

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 April 

13, 2021. 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 

Methods of Analysis and Sampling 

(CCMAS) of the Codex Alimentarius 

Commission in Budapest, Hungary, May 

17–21, 2021. The U.S. Manager for 

Codex Alimentarius and the Acting 

Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign 

Agricultural Affairs (TFAA) recognize 

the importance of providing interested 

parties the opportunity to obtain 

background information on the 41st 

Session of the CCMAS and to address 

items on the agenda. 

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled 

for April 13, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 

p.m. EST.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will

take place via Video Teleconference

hosted by the U.S. Codex Office.

Documents related to the 41st Session of

the CCMAS will be accessible via the

internet at the following address: http://

www.fao.org/fao-whocodexalimentarius/meetings/detail/en/

?meeting=CCMAS&session=41.

Dr. Gregory Noonan, U.S. Delegate to 

the 41st Session of the CCMAS, invites 

U.S. interested parties to submit their 

comments electronically to the 

following email address: 

gregory.noonan@fda.hhs.gov. 

Registration: Attendees may register 

to attend the virtual public meeting 

here: https://www.zoomgov.com/ 

meeting/register/vJIscuCqqj4o

EzgWRDWAK93lKD-mNRIX2gw or by 

emailing Ms. Heather Selig 

(heather.selig@usda.gov) by April 1st, 

2021. 

For Further Information about the 

41st Session of the CCMAS: Contact the 

U.S. Delegate, Dr. Gregory Noonan, 

Director, Division of Bioanalytical 

Chemistry, Center for Food Safety and 

Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug 

Administration, 5001 Campus Drive, 

College Park, MD 20740, Phone: (240) 

402–2250, Fax: (301) 436–2332, Email: 

gregory.noonan@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 (FAO) and 

the World Health Organization (WHO). 

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 Methods of Analysis and 

Sampling (CCMAS) are: 

(a) To define the criteria appropriate

to Codex Methods of Analysis and 

Sampling; 

(b) to serve as a coordinating body for

Codex with other international groups 

working in methods of analysis and 

sampling and quality assurance systems 

for laboratories; 

(c) to specify, on the basis of final

recommendations submitted to it by the 

other bodies referred to in (b) above, 

Reference Methods of Analysis and 

Sampling appropriate to Codex 

Standards which are generally 

applicable to a number of foods; 

(d) to consider, amend, if necessary,

and endorse, 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, the assessment of 

microbiological quality and safety in 

food, and the assessment of 

specifications for food additives, do not 

fall within the terms of reference of this 

Committee; 

(e) to elaborate sampling plans and

procedures, as may be required; 

(f) to consider specific sampling and

analysis problems submitted to it by the 

Commission or any of its Committees; 

and 

(g) to define 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. 

The United States attends CCMAS 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 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 

Æ Review of Methods of Analysis in 

Dairy Workable Package 

Æ Review of Methods of Analysis in 

Fats and Oils Workable Package 

Æ Review of Methods of Analysis in 

Cereals, Pulses, and Legumes 

Workable Package 

• Revision of the Guidelines on

Measurement Uncertainty

• Revision of the General Guidelines on

Sampling

• Discussion Paper on Criteria to Select

Type II Methods from Multiple

Type III Methods 

• Report of an Inter-Agency Meeting on

Methods of Analysis Conference

Room Document (CRD) 

• Other Business and Future Work

Public Meeting

At the April 13, 2021 public meeting, 

draft U.S. positions on the agenda items 

will be 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. Gregory Noonan, U.S. Delegate for 

the 41st Session of the CCMAS (see 

ADDRESSES). Written comments should 

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 26 / Wednesday, February 10, 2021 / Notices 8883 

state that they relate to the activities of 

the 41st Session of the CCMAS. 

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: http://

www.usda.gov/codex/, a link that also 

offers an email subscription service 

providing access to information related 

to Codex. Customers can modify their 

subscriptions 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: 

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 February 3, 

2021. 

Mary Lowe, 

U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius. 

[FR Doc. 2021–02703 Filed 2–9–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

U.S. Codex Office 

Codex Alimentarius Commission: 

Meeting of the Codex Committee on 

Spices and Culinary Herbs 

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 March 

29, 2021. 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 5th 

Session of the Codex Committee on 

Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) of 

the Codex Alimentarius Commission, 

which will convene virtually April 26– 

30, 2021. The U.S. Manager for Codex 

Alimentarius and the Acting Under 

Secretary for Trade and Foreign 

Agricultural Affairs recognize the 

importance of providing interested 

parties the opportunity to obtain 

background information on the 5th 

Session of the CCSCH and to address 

items on the agenda. 

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled 

for March 29, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. to 

3:00 p.m. EST. 

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will 

take place via Video Teleconference 

hosted by the U.S. Codex Office. 

Documents related to the 5th Session of 

the CCSCH will be accessible via the 

internet at the following address: http:// 

www.fao.org/fao-whocodexalimentarius/meetings/detail/en/ 

?meeting=CCSCH&session=5. 

Mr. Dorian A. LaFond, U.S. Delegate 

to the 5th Session of the CCSCH, invites 

U.S. interested parties to submit their 

comments electronically to the 

following email address: dorian.lafond@

usda.gov. 

Registration: Attendees may register 

to attend the virtual public meeting 

here: https://www.zoomgov.com/ 

meeting/register/vJIsce2grDIjHgR59gdd1

YczP24oxfgwbvQ or by emailing Ms. 

Heather Selig (heather.selig@usda.gov) 

by March 15, 2021. 

For Further Information about the 5th 

Session of the CCSCH, contact the U.S. 

Delegate, Mr. Dorian A. LaFond, 

International Standards Coordinator for 

the Agricultural Marketing Service 

Specialty Crops Program, Specialty 

Crops Inspection Division at Stop 0247, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20250–0247, Tel: 202– 

690–4944, Cell: 202–577–5583, Fax: 

202–720–0016 or Email: dorian.lafond@

usda.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 (FAO) and 

the World Health Organization (WHO). 

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 Spices and Culinary 

Herbs (CCSCH) are: 

(a) To elaborate worldwide standards 

for spices and culinary herbs in their 

dried and dehydrated state in whole, 

ground, and cracked or crushed form; 

and 

(b) To consult, as necessary, with 

other international organizations in the 

standards development process to avoid 

duplication. 

The CCSCH is hosted by India. The 

United States attends CCSCH as a 

member country of Codex. 

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public 

Meeting 

The following items on the Agenda 

for the 5th Session of the CCSCH will 

be discussed during the public meeting: 

• Matters Referred by the Codex 

Alimentarius Commission and its 

Subsidiary Bodies 

• Dried Oregano 

• Draft Standard for Dried Oregano 

• Dried Roots, Rhizomes, and Bulbs 

• Draft Standard for Dried or 

Dehydrated Ginger 

• Dried Floral Parts 

• Draft Standard for Dried Cloves 

• Draft Standard for Saffron 

• Dried Herbs 

• Draft Standard for Dried Basil 

• Dried Fruits and Berries 

• Proposed Draft Standard for Dried 

Chilli Peppers and Paprika 

• Dried Seeds 

• Proposed Draft Standard for Dried 

Nutmeg 

• New Work and Layout for SCH 

Standards 

• Consideration of the Proposals for 

New Work 

• Update to the Template for SCH 

Standards