Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notices 28983

FORMAT FOR CODEX COMMODITY

STANDARDS INCLUDING STANDARDS

ELABORATED UNDER THE CODE OF

PRINCIPLES CONCERNING MILK AND MILK

PRODUCTS

Introduction

The format is also intended for use as a

guide by the subsidiary bodies of the Codex

Alimentarius Commission in presenting their

standards, with the object of achieving, as far

as possible, a uniform presentation of

commodity standards. The format also

indicates the statements which should be

included in standards as appropriate under

the relevant headings of the standard. The

sections of the format required to be

completed for a standard are only those

provisions that are appropriate to an

international standard for the food in

question.

Name of the Standard

Scope

Description

Essential Composition and Quality Factors

Food Additives

Contaminants

Hygiene

Weights and Measures

Labelling

Methods of Analysis and Sampling

Format for Codex Standards

Name of the Standard

The name of the standard should be clear

and as concise as possible. It should usually

be the common name by which the food

covered by the standard is known or, if more

than one food is dealt with in the standard,

by a generic name covering them all. If a fully

informative title is inordinately long, a

subtitle could be added.

Scope

This section should contain a clear,

concise statement as to the food or foods to

which the standard is applicable unless the

name of the standard clearly and concisely

identifies the food or foods. A generic

standard covering more than one specific

product should clearly identify the specific

products to which the standard applies.

Description

This section should contain a definition of

the product or products with an indication,

where appropriate, of the raw materials from

which the product or products are derived

and any necessary references to processes of

manufacture. The description may also

include references to types and styles of

product and to type of pack. The description

may also include additional definitions when

these additional definitions are required to

clarify the meaning of the standard.

Essential Composition and Quality Factors

This section should contain all quantitative

and other requirements as to composition

including, where necessary, identity

characteristics, provisions on packing media

and requirements as to compulsory and

optional ingredients. It should also include

quality factors which are essential for the

designation, definition, or composition of the

product concerned. Such factors could

include the quality of the raw material, with

the object of protecting the health of the

consumer, provisions on taste, odor, color,

and texture which may be apprehended by

the senses, and basic quality criteria for the

finished products, with the object of

preventing fraud. This section may refer to

tolerances for defects, such as blemishes or

imperfect material, but this information

should be contained in appendix to the

standard or in another advisory text.

Food Additives

This section should contain the names of

the additives permitted and, where

appropriate, the maximum amount permitted

in the food. It should be prepared in

accordance with guidance given on pages 93

to 96 of the Codex Procedural Manual and

may take the following form:

‘‘The following provisions in respect of

food additives and their specifications as

contained in section * * * of the Codex

Alimentarius are subject to endorsement

[have been endorsed] by the Codex

Committee on Food Additives and

Contaminants.’’

A tabulation should then follow, viz.:

‘‘Name of additive, maximum level (in

percentage or mg/kg).’’

Contaminants

(a) Pesticide Residues: This section should

include, by reference, any levels for pesticide

residues that have been established by the

Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues for

the product concerned.

(b) Other Contaminants: In addition, this

section should contain the names of other

contaminants and where appropriate the

maximum level permitted in the food, and

the text to appear in the standard may take

the following form:

‘‘The following provisions in respect of

contaminants, other than pesticide residues,

are subject to endorsement [have been

endorsed] by the Codex Committee on Food

Additives and Contaminants.’’

A tabulation should then follow, viz.:

‘‘Name of contaminant, maximum level (in

percentage or mg/kg).’’

Hygiene

Any specific mandatory hygiene provisions

considered necessary should be included in

this section. They should be prepared in

accordance with the guidance given on pages

96 to 98 of the Codex Procedural Manual.

Reference should also be made to applicable

codes of hygienic practice. Any parts of such

codes, including in particular any endproduct specifications, should be set out in

the standard, if it is considered necessary

that they should be made mandatory. The

following statement should also appear:

‘‘The following provisions in respect of the

food hygiene of the product are subject to

endorsement [have been endorsed] by the

Codex Committee on Food Hygiene.’’

Weights and Measures

This section should include all provisions,

other than labelling provisions, relating to

weights and measures, e.g. where

appropriate, fill of container, weight,

measure or count of units determined by an

appropriate method of sampling and

analysis. Weights and measures should be

expressed in S.I. units. In the case of

standards which include provisions for the

sale of products in standardized amounts,

e.g. multiples of 100 grams, S.I. units should

be used, but this would not preclude

additional statements in the standards of

these standardized amounts in approximately

similar amounts in other systems of weights

and measures.

Labelling

This section should include all the

labelling provisions contained in the

standard and should be prepared in

accordance with the guidance given on pages

91 to 93 of the Codex Procedural Manual.

Provisions should be included by reference

to the General Standard for the Labelling of

Prepackaged Foods. The section may also

contain provisions which are exemptions

from, additions to, or which are necessary for

the interpretation of the General Standard in

respect of the product concerned provided

that these can be justified fully. The

following statement should also appear:

‘‘The following provisions in respect of the

labelling of this product are subject to

endorsement [have been endorsed] by the

Codex Committee on Food Labelling.’’

Methods of Analysis and Sampling

This section should include, either

specifically or by reference, all methods of

analysis and sampling considered necessary

and should be prepared in accordance with

the guidance given on pages 99 to 102 of the

Codex Procedural Manual. If two or more

methods have been proved to be equivalent

by the Codex Committee on Methods of

Analysis and Sampling, these could be

regarded as alternative and included in this

section either specifically or by reference.

The following statement should also appear:

‘‘The methods of analysis and sampling

described hereunder are to be endorsed [have

been endorsed] by the Codex Committee on

Methods of Analysis and Sampling.’’

[FR Doc. 98–13981 Filed 5–26–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Special Provision for Frozen

Concentrated Orange Juice Under the

North American Free Trade Agreement

Implementation Act

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service.

ACTION: Notice of determination of

termination of existence of price

conditions necessary for imposition of

temporary duty on frozen concentrated

orange juice from Mexico.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 309(a) of

the North American Free Trade

Agreement Implementation Act of 1993

(‘‘NAFTA Implementation Act’’), this is

a notification that for 5 consecutive

business days the daily price for frozen

concentrated orange juice has exceeded

the trigger price.
28984 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notices

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joseph Somers, Horticultural and

Tropical Products Division, Foreign

Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250–

1000 or telephone at (202) 720–3423.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

NAFTA Implementation Act authorizes

the imposition of a temporary duty

(snapback) for Mexican frozen

concentrated orange juice when certain

conditions exist. Mexican articles falling

under subheading 2009.11.00 of the

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the

United States (HTS) are subject to the

snapback duty provision.

Under Section 309(a) of the NAFTA

Implementation Act, certain price

conditions must exist before the United

States can apply a snapback duty on

imports of Mexican frozen concentrated

orange juice. In addition, such imports

must exceed specified amounts before

the snapback duty can be applied. The

price conditions exist when for each

period of 5 consecutive business days

the daily price for frozen concentrated

orange juice is less than the trigger

price.

For the purpose of this provision, the

term ‘‘daily price’’ means the daily

closing price of the New York Cotton

Exchange, or any successor as

determined by the Secretary of

Agriculture (the ‘‘Exchange’’), for the

closest month in which contracts for

frozen concentrated orange juice are

being traded on the Exchange. The term

‘‘business day’’ means a day in which

contracts for frozen concentrated orange

juice are being traded on the Exchange.

The term ‘‘trigger price’’ means the

average daily closing price of the

Exchange for the corresponding month

during the previous 5-year period,

excluding the year with the highest

average price for the corresponding

month and the year with the lowest

average price for the corresponding

month.

Price conditions no longer exist when

the Secretary determines that for a

period of 5 consecutive business days

the daily price for frozen concentrated

orange juice has exceeded the trigger

price. Whenever the price conditions

are determined to exist or to cease to

exist the Secretary is required to

immediately notify the Commissioner of

Customs of such determination.

Whenever the determination is that the

price conditions exist and the quantity

of Mexican articles of frozen

concentrated orange juice entered

exceeds (1) 264,978,000 liters (single

strength equivalent) in any of calendar

years 1994 through 2002, or (2)

340,560,000 liters (single strength

equivalent) in any calendar years 2003

through 2007, the rate of duty on

Mexican articles of frozen concentrated

orange juice that are entered after the

date on which the applicable quantity

limitation is reached and before the date

of publication in the Federal Register of

the determination that the price

conditions have ceased to exist shall be

the lower of—(1) the column 1—General

rate of duty in effect for such articles on

July 1, 1991; or (2) the column 1—

General rate of duty in effect on that

day. For the purpose of this provision,

the term ‘‘entered’’ means entered or

withdrawn from warehouse for

consumption in the customs territory of

the United States.

In accordance with Section 309(a) of

the NAFTA Implementation Act, it has

been determined that for the period May

5–11, 1998, the daily price for frozen

concentrated orange juice has exceeded

the trigger price.

Issued at Washington, D.C. the 19th day of

May 1998.

Timothy J. Galvin,

Acting Administrator, Foreign Agricultural

Service.

[FR Doc. 98–14006 Filed 5–26–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–10–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

Notice of Request for Extension of a

Currently Approved Information

Collection

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service (RHS),

USDA.

ACTION: Proposed collection: comments

request.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Rural Housing

Service’s intention to request an

extension for a currently approved

information collection in support of the

program for Farm Labor Housing Loan

and Grant Policies, Procedures and

Authorizations for Multi-Family

Housing.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by July 27, 1998 to be assured

of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Fox, Senior Loan Specialist,

Multi-Family Housing Processing

Division, RHS, United States

Department of Agriculture, Stop 0782,

1400 Independence Ave., SW,

Washington, DC 20250–0782,

Telephone (202) 720–1606.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Farm Labor Housing Loan and

Grant Policies, Procedures and

Authorizations.

OMB Number: 0575–0045.

Expiration Date of Approval: July 31,

1998.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved information

collection.

Abstract: The Rural Housing Service

(RHS) is authorized under Section 514,

515, 516, and 521 of Title V of the

Housing Act of 1949, as amended, to

make initial and subsequent loans and

grants to provide housing and related

facilities for domestic farm labor. A loan

only can be made to a farmowner,

family farm partnership, family farm

corporation, or an association of farmers

whose farming operations demonstrate a

need for farm labor housing and that is

engaged in agricultural or aquacultural

farming operations and which will own

the housing and operate it on a

nonprofit basis. A loan and/or grant can

be made to public, private nonprofit

organizations for domestic farm labor in

areas where need exists. In some cases,

rental assistance may be provided to

eligible tenants.

RHS has the responsibility of assuring

the public that funds for LH projects are

financed to build, buy, improve or

repair farm labor housing and related

facilities. The facilities financed are to

have decent, safe and sanitary living

conditions and are managed and

operated as mandated by Congress. 7

CFR part 1944, subpart D was issued to

set forth the policies and procedures

and delegation of authority for making

initial and subsequent insured loans

under Section 514 and grants under

Section 516 to provide housing and

related facilities for domestic farm labor

and to assure that applicable laws and

authorities are carried out as intended.

With the provisions of this regulation,

RHS will be able to provide the

financial assistance and necessary

guidance to applicants in the

development of their project proposals.

It provides the Agency the capacity to

meaningfully evaluate the feasibility of

the proposed projects. RHS will be able

to assure Congress and the general

public that all LH projects will be

operated for purposes that are intended,

and for the benefit of those they are

mandated to serve.

The required information is collected

on a project-by-project basis and is done

so in accordance with the amended

Housing Act of 1949, so that RHS can

provide guidance and be assured of

compliance with terms and conditions

of loan, grant, and or subsidy

agreements.