WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/CHE/31
18 October 2002
(02-5693)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  French
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  SWITZERLAND
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:  Federal Office for Public Health, Bern
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):  Foodstuffs of animal origin
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All
countries which export these products to Switzerland.
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:
- Newsletter No. 78 - Directive of the Swiss Federal Office for Public Health:  New
Maximum Limits for Nitrofuran Residues in Foodstuffs of Animal Origin  (three
pages, in French and German).
6. Description of content:
1. The active substances listed below are subject, as of 13 August 2002, to the following
maximum residue limits (MRLs):
1 2 345 6
Active
substanceScope Foodstuff Tolerance
value
mg/kgMaximum
residue limit
(MRL)
mg/kgComments
Furaltadone C Meat 0.001 Sum of the furaltadone
and its metabolites withan intact 5-nitrofuran and3-amino-5-
morpholinomethyl-2-
oxazolidinone (AMOZ)side chain; calculated asfuraltadone
Furazolidone C Meat 0.001 Sum of the furazolidone
and its metabolites withan intact 5-nitrofuran and3-amino-2-oxazolidinone
(AOZ) side chain;
calculated as furazolidoneG/SPS/N/CHE/31
Page 2
Nitrofurantoin C Meat 0.001 Sum of the nitrofurantoin
and its metabolites with
an intact 5-nitrofuran and1-aminohydantoin (AHD)side chain; calculated as
nitrofurantoin
Nitrofurazone C Meat 0.001 Sum of the nitrofurazone
and its metabolites with
an intact 5-nitrofuran and
semicarbazide (SEM) sidechain; calculated asnitrofurazone
2. The tolerance value for furazolidone in list 3 of the Annex to the Ordinance on
Foreign Substances and Toxic Components in Foodstuffs is hereby removed with
immediate effect.
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
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reasons for urgent action:  The presence of
nitrofurans in foodstuffs is a risk to human health.
9. International standard, guideline or recommendation:
[    ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [    ] Office International des Epizooties, [    ]
International Plant Protection Convention,  [ X ] None
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
Pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 of 26 June 1990, the
administration to food-producing animals of substances belonging to the class of nitrofuransis banned throughout the Community.  A "zero tolerance" standard is applied to nitrofuran
residues, that is to say, detection of nitrofuran residues means that the foodstuff in question
may no longer be released on the market.
10. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:
- DFI (Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs) Ordinance of 26 June 1995 on
Foreign Substances and Toxic Components in Foodstuffs (Ordinance on Foreign
Substances and Toxic Components, OSEC; No. RS 817.021.23; available in French,Italian and German).
http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/c817_021_23.html
- Food Ordinance of 1 March 1995 (ODAI; No. RS 817.02; available in French, Italian
and German).
http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/c817_02.html
- Federal Law on Foodstuffs and Objects in Everyday Use of 9 October 1992 (Food Law,
LDAI; No. RS 817.0; available in French, Italian and German).
http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/c817_0.html
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable): 13 August 2002G/SPS/N/CHE/31
Page 3
12. Agency or authority designated to handle  comments:  [    ] National notification
authority,  [    ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
13. Texts available from:  [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: