. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/800
28 August 2003
(03-4483)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   US Food and Drug Administration - FDA
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):  Sucrose oligoesters (sucrose esters of fatty acids with an average degree of
esterification ranging from four to seven) in chocolate and in butter-substitute spreads.
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
Trading partners.
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Food Additives
Permitted for Direct Addition to Food for Human Consumption;  Sucrose Oligoesters
(5 pages; available in English)
6. Description of content:  FDA has issued a final rule to provide for the safe use of sucrose
oligoesters as an emulsifier or stabilizer, at a level not to exceed 2.0 per cent, in chocolate and
in butter-substitute spreads (21 CFR 172.869).
7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or di sease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Notice of Filing in the
Federal Register (63 FR 46465) (available in English), Final Rule in the Federal Register  (68
FR 50069) (available in English)
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/03-21270.pdf
10. Proposed date of adoption:   20 August 2003
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   20 August 2003G/SPS/N/USA/800
Page 2
12. Final date for comments:  19 September 2003.
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
Submit written comments on the document to the Division of Dockets Management
(HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm.
1061, Rockville, MD 20852, U.S.A.  It is possible to submit electronic comments to:
http://www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments .  Submit comments by indicating DOCKET
Number 98F-0717 and Title of document, Food Additives Permitted for Direct Addition to
Food for Human Consumption; Sucrose Oligoesters.
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority,  [ X ]  National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
US Department of Agriculture, Stop 1027, Washington, DC  20250.  Tel:  (202) 720-1301,
fstsd@usda.gov .  Complete text can be also be found on the Internet:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/oc/ohrms/index.cfm  by looking under DOCKET
No. 98F-0717