G/SPS/N/CHL/707  
25 November  2021 
(21-8913) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member : CHILE 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible : Ministerio de Salud , MINSAL (Ministry of Health)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO ; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable) : Heavy metals (arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead, tin) in food  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  
[X] All trading partners  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:  
5. Title of the notified document : Consulta Pública de Modificación del Decreto Supremo 
N°977/96, Ministerio de Salud, Reglamento Sanitario de los Alimentos, Artículo 160, Título 
IV de los metales pesados  (Public consultation on amendment to Supreme Decree No. 
977/96, Ministry of Health, Food Health Regulations, Article 160, Section IV on heavy 
metals) Language(s) : Spanish Number of pages : 7 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/SPS/CHL/21_7342_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content : The notified measure brings Section IV of the Food Health 
Regulations, Supreme Decree No. 977/9 6, into line with the Codex Alimentarius "General 
Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed" ( CXS 193 -1995) by replacing 
the lists under the headings arsenic, mercury, cadmium and tin in Article 160 of the Food 
Health Regulations with the respe ctive tables detailing the maximum levels for each 
category of food.  
For food matrices that have not been incorporated into the Codex, the European Union 
regulations on heavy metals and the regulations of New Zealand and Australia (Australia 
New Zealand Food Standards Code - Schedule 19 - Maximum levels of contaminants and 
natural toxicants) have been established as international benchmarks.  
On the basis of international scientific evidence and the current provisions of our 
benchmark regulations, certain metals - which are considered to be essential trace 
elements in nutriti on - have been excluded, such as : copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and 
selenium (Se).  
Further details can be found in the document attached to this notification.  
7. Objective and rationale : [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  G/SPS/N/CHL/707  
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  8. Is there a relevant international standard ? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission ( e.g. title or seri al number of Codex 
standard or related text ): "General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in 
Food and Feed" ( CXS 193 -1995)  
[ ] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. T errestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : 
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. I SPM No.) : 
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available : 
Supreme Decree No. 977/96, Ministry of Health, Food Health Regulations  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Upon publication in the Official Journal  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Approximately 80 days from the date of 
circulation of the notification  
11. Proposed date of entry into force : [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : Six months after publication in the Official Journal  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments : [ ]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 19 January 2 022 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments : [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point . Address, fax number and email address (if 
available) of other body:  
Email : sps.chile@sag.gob.cl  
13. Text(s) available from : [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry 
Point . Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body:  
Email : sps.chile@sag.gob.cl