3652 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 15 / Monday, January 24, 2000 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 00–001N]

Codex Alimentarius Commission:

Thirty-Second Session of the Codex

Committee on Food Additives and

Contaminants

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Public meeting;

request for comment.

SUMMARY: The Office of the Under

Secretary for Food Safety, and the Food

Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS),

United States Department of

Agriculture, and the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) are sponsoring a

public meeting on February 4, 2000. The

purpose of the meeting is to provide

information and receive public

comment on agenda items that will be

discussed at the Thirty-second Session

of the Codex Committee on Food

Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC),

which will be held in Beijing, China on

March 20–24, 2000.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled

for Friday, February 4, 2000, from 1:30

p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be

held in Room 1409, FOB 8, 200 C. St.

S.W., Washington, DC. Documents

referenced in this notice can be

reviewed at the FSIS Docket Clerk’s

office, 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.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/economic/

esn/codex/ccfac32/Fa00—01e.htm.

Send an original and two copies of

comments to the FSIS Docket Clerk,

Docket #00–001N, to the above address.

All comments submitted in response to

this notice will be available for public

inspection in the FSIS 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 S.W.,

Washington, DC 20250, Telephone:

(202) 205–7760, Fax: (202) 720–3157.

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

principal international organization for

protecting the health and economic

interests of consumers and encouraging

fair international trade in food. 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 CCFAC establishes or endorses

maximum or guideline levels for

individual food additives, for

contaminants (including environmental

contaminants), and for naturally

occurring toxicants in foodstuffs and

animal feeds. In addition, the

Committee prepares priority lists of food

additives and contaminants for

toxicological evaluation by the Joint

FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food

Additives; recommends specifications

of identity and purity for food additives

for adoption by the Commission;

considers methods of analysis for their

determination in food; and considers

and elaborates standards or codes for

related subjects such as the labeling of

food additives when sold as such and

food irradiation. The Netherlands chairs

the committee.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public

Meeting

The following lists the provisional

agenda items that will be discussed

during the public meeting on February

4, 2000:

1. Adoption of the Agenda.

2. Matters referred by the Codex

Alimentarius Commission and other

Codex Committees.

3. Summary Report of the 53rd

Meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert

Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).

4. Action Required as a Result of

Changes in Acceptable Daily Intake

Status and other Toxicological

Recommendations.

5. Discussion Paper on the

Application of Risk Analysis Principles

for Food Additives and Contaminants.

Food Additives

1. Endorsement and/or Revision of

Maximum Levels for Food Additives in

Codex Standards.

2. Consideration of the Codex General

Standard for Food Additives.

3. Discussion Paper on the Use of

Colours in Foods.

4. Discussion Paper on Processing

Aids.

5. Proposed Draft Revision to the

Codex General Standard for Irradiated

Foods.

6. Specifications for the Identity and

Purity of Food Additives Arising from

the 53rd JECFA Meeting.

7. Proposed Amendments to the

International Numbering System.

Contaminants

1. Endorsement and/or Revision of

Maximum Levels for Contaminants in

Codex Standards.

2. Consideration of the Codex General

Standard for Contaminants and Toxins

in Foods.

3. Methodology and Principles for

Exposure Assessment in the Codex

General Standard for Contaminants and

Toxins in Foods.

4. Mycotoxins in Food and Feed:

(a) Aflatoxin M 1 in Milk

(b) Ochratoxin A in Cereals

(c) Zearalenone

(d) Patulin

(e) Fumonisins.

5. Industrial and Environmental

Contaminants in Foods:

(a) Proposed Draft Code of Practice for

Source Directed Measures to Reduce

Contamination of Food with Chemicals

(b) Lead

(c) Cadmium

(d) Dioxins.

General Issues

1. Proposals for Priority Evaluation of

Food Additives and Contaminants by

JECFA.

2. Other Business and Future Work:

(a) Comments on Methods of Analysis

for the Determination of Food Additives

and Contaminants in Foods.

(b) Comments on the Inventory of

Processing Aids.

(c) Comments on Packaging

Provisions to Maintain the Stability of

Iodized Salt in the Codex Standard for

Food Grade Salt.

Each issue listed will be fully

described in documents distributed, or

to be distributed, by Commission

Secretariat or by The Netherlands’

Secretariat to the Meeting. Members of

the public may review copies of these

documents (see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

At the February 4, 2000, public

meeting, the agenda items will be

described, discussed, and attendees will

have the opportunity to pose questions

and offer comments.

Additional Public Notification

Public awareness of all segments of

rulemaking and policy development are

important. Consequently, in an effort to

better ensure that minorities, women,

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 15 / Monday, January 24, 2000 / Notices 3653

and persons with disabilities are aware

of this public meeting notice, FSIS will

announce it 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.

Done at Washington, DC on: January 19,

2000.

F. Edward Scarbrough,

U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.

[FR Doc. 00–1663 Filed 1–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality

AGENCY: Natural Resources

Conservation Service (NRCS).

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Task Force on

Agricultural Air Quality will meet for

the second time in FY 2000 to discuss

the relationship between agricultural

production and air quality. Special

emphasis will be placed on promoting

a greater understanding of agriculture’s

impact on air quality and the role it

plays in the local and national economy.

The meeting is open to the public.

DATES: The meeting will convene

Tuesday, February 15, 2000 at 8:30 a.m.

and continue until 5:00 p.m. The

meeting will resume Thursday,

February 17, 2000 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:45

p.m. Written material and requests to

make oral presentations should reach

the Natural Resources Conservation

Service on or before February 7, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Amerisuites, 6080 Bluebonnet

Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA 70809,

telephone (225) 769–4400/Fax (225)

769–7444. Written material and requests

to make oral presentations should be

sent to George Bluhm, University of

California, Land, Air, and Water

Resources, 151 Hoagland Hall, Davis,

CA 95616–6827.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions or

comments should be directed to George

Bluhm, Designated Federal Official,

telephone (530) 752–1018, fax (530)

752–1552, email

bluhm@crocker.ucdavis.edu.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of

this meeting is given under the Federal

Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App.

2. Additional information about the

Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality,

including any revised agendas for the

November 9 and 10, 1999 meeting that

may appear after this Federal Register

Notice is published, may be found on

the World Wide Web at http://

www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/faca/aaqtf.html.

Draft Agenda of the February 15 And

17, 1999 Meeting

A. Welcome to Louisiana by State and

local officials

B. Business, Pearlie Reed, Chief, NRCS

and Chairperson, AAQTF

1. Approve minutes of the November 9

and 10, 1999 AAQTF meeting

2. Update on Agricultural Burning

Policy recommendation

3. Update on Voluntary Program

recommendation

C. GIS as an Emission Factor Tool,

LDEQ Staff

D. Subcommittee Reports, Pearlie Reed,

Chief, NRCS and Chairperson,

AAQTF

1. Confined animals and emission

factors subcommittee report, John

Sweeten, Chairperson

2. Research priorities and oversight

subcommittee report, James Trotter,

Chairperson

3. Monitoring and health effects

subcommittee report, Phillip

Wakelyn, Chairperson

E. EPA Update, Sally Shaver, EPA

F. Set date and location for next

meetings

Procedural

This meeting is open to the public. At

the discretion of the Chair, members of

the public may present oral

presentations during the February 15

and 17, 2000 meeting. Persons wishing

to make oral presentations should notify

George Bluhm no later than February 7,

2000. If a person submitting material

would like a copy distributed to each

member of the committee in advance of

the meeting, that person should submit

25 copies to George Bluhm no later than

February 7, 2000.

Information on Services for Individuals

With Disabilities

For information on facilities or

services for individuals with disabilities

or to request special assistance at the

meeting, contact George Bluhm as soon

as possible.

Dated: January 11, 2000.

Lawrence E. Clark,

Deputy Chief for Science and Technology,

Natural Resources Conservation Service.

[FR Doc. 00–1632 Filed 1–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

of the North Carolina Advisory

Committee

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to

the provisions of the rules and

regulations of the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights, that a meeting of the North

Carolina Advisory Committee to the

Commission will convene at 1:00 p.m.

and adjourn at 5:00 p.m. on February 9,

2000, at the North Carolina A&T State

University, Hodgin Hall, Room 106,

Greensboro, North Carolina 27411. The

purpose of the meeting is to finalize a

project proposal and to review civil

rights issues.

Persons desiring additional

information, or planning a presentation

to the Committee, should contact Bobby

D. Doctor, Director of the Southern

Regional Office, 404–562–7000 (TDD

404–562–7004). Hearing-impaired

persons who will attend the meeting

and require the services of a sign

language interpreter should contact the

Regional Office at least ten (10) working

days before the scheduled date of the

meeting.

The meeting will be conducted

pursuant to the provisions of the rules

and regulations of the Commission.

Dated at Washington, DC, January 11, 2000.

Carol-Lee Hurley,

Chief, Regional Programs Coordination Unit.

[FR Doc. 00–1600 Filed 1–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P