. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/NZL/53
5 January 2000
(00-0032)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  NEW ZEALAND
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Health
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, whereapplicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  All countries exporting the specified foods containing residues of the
specified agricultural compounds in food to New Zealand.
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document: Proposed amendment to the New
Zealand (Maximum Residue Limits of Agricultural Compounds) Mandatory Food Standard
1999: To establish maximum residue limits (MRLs) for specified agricultural compounds in
food - a discussion document.  (29 pages)
5. Description of content: An amendment to the New Zealand (Maximum Residue Limits
of Agricultural Compounds) Mandatory Food Standard 1999  is proposed to allow
permissions for new, and amend existing, maximum residue limits.  There are twoproposals.
Proposal one involves establishing the following new maximum residue limits:
• Nicarbazin: muscle of poultry 0.2 mg/kg, offal of poultry 0.2 mg/kg, fat of poultry
0.2 mg/kg.
• Florfenicol: meat of pigs, cattle, deer, and poultry 0.1 mg/kg, liver of pigs, cattle,
deer, and poultry 3.0 mg/kg, kidney of pigs, cattle, deer, and poultry 0.3 mg/kg, fatof pigs, cattle, deer, and poultry 0.3 mg/kg.
 
 It also proposes to amend existing maximum residue limits for the
following agricultural compounds:
• Metalaxyl (sum of isomers): asparagus 0.2 mg/kg will be added.
• Tebufenozide: stonefruit (excluding cherries) 0.5 mg/kg will be added.
• Methomyl will be amended to read: brassica vegetables, cucurbits, lettuce, beans,
and cereals 0.2 mg/kg, other fruiting vegetables, berryfruit, and grapes 0.5 mg/kg.
• Toltrazuril (including its metabolites) will be amended to read: liver of pigs 2.0
mg/kg, muscle of pig, poultry 0.5 mg/kg, fat of pigs 0.5 mg/kg, kidney of pigs 2.0
mg/kg, edible offal of poultry 1.0 mg/kg.
The limits are designed to protect public health by reinforcing the concepts of good
practice in the use of veterinary drugs and good agricultural practice under New Zealandenvironmental conditions for domestically-produced food.G/SPS/N/NZL/53
Page 2
Proposal two concerns setting an MRL for th e fumigant ethylene oxide (EtO), which is
used on spices.  It is proposed that a permanent MRL for EtO of 20 parts per million is
established.  This is a reduction of the current New Zealand temporary limit of 50 partsper million contained in the Food Notice 1999.
Under the New Zealand (Maximum Residue Limi ts of Agricultural Compounds)
Mandatory Food Standard 1999 , food imported into New Zealand may comply with
either:
• the limits specified in the New Zealand (Maximum Residue Limits of Agricultural
Compounds) Mandatory Food Standard 1999, or
• the appropriate Codex food standard for agricultural residues; or
• a default level of 0.1 mg/kg if it does not comply with the former two requirements.
6. 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   
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].  No
Codex maximum residue limit exists for ethylene oxide, florfenicol, totrazuril, or
tebufenozide.
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations: Codex maximum residue limits exist for
methomyl, nicarbazin, and metalaxyl.  The proposed limits for nicarbazin are identical to
those of Codex.  The proposed limits for methomyl are generally lower than Codex limits.
The proposed limit for metalaxyl is higher than the Codex level.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: New Zealand
(Maximum Residue Limits of Agricultur al Compounds) Mandatory Food Standard 1999
(English).
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Mid-late March 2000
10. Proposed date of entry into force: April 2000,  28 days after notification in the New
Zealand Gazette.
11. Final date for comments:  25 February 2000
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: "MRL Consultation’", Attention: Rob Smith, Ministry of Health,
PO Box 5013, Wellington, New Zealand.  Tel: +64 4 496 2094, Fax: + 64 4 496 2340,
Email: robert_smith@moh.govt.nz
12.Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [    ] National
enquiry point or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of
other body: "MRL Consultation", Attn: Rob Smith, Ministry of Health, PO Box
5013, Wellington, New Zealand.  Tel: +64 4 496 2094, Fax: + 64 4 496 2340,Email: robert_smith@moh.govt.nz
Website for the discussion document: 
http://www.moh.govt.nz/publicationsonline.html