U.S. public health officials are hosting a meeting next week to solicit public comments on the draft U.S. positions for the fourth session of the Ad Hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance, which will meet in Korea in October.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced late last week that the meeting is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010 at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Harvey W. Wiley Building, Room 1A-002, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD.

Those interested in participating remotely can do so via teleconference, 866-692-3158, passcode: 5986642. A complete agenda and documents relating to the fourth session of the task force will be available on the Codex Alimentarius Web site.

According to the agency’s release, the Ad Hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance is mandated by Codex to “develop science-based guidance, taking full account of its risk analysis principles and the work and standards of other relevant international organizations.” At the session, participants plan to draft guidelines for risk analysis of foodborne antimicrobial resistance.

Codex is a joint project of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) charged with setting international food standards.

People interested in submitting comments can do so electronically by emailing uscodex@fsis.usda.gov.