. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/NLD/59
4 March 2003
(03-1239)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE NETHERLANDS
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports
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):  The rind of cheese, sheep's cheese and goat's cheese
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Regulation amending the
Commodities Act Regulation on cheese rind coatings (draft)
6. Description of content:   
The Commodities Act on cheese rind coatings lays down rules pertaining to the
manufacture of cheese rind coatings in order to protect public health. The enclosed draftamendment to this Regulation has been drafted at the request of the industry.
The draft aims to permit the use of a new cheese rind coating which is composed of
acetoglycerides (E 472a), mono- and diglycerides (E 471), hydrated natural oils and fats,
natural waxes, plastics and colourings (including curcumin (E100)).
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
The parties concerned wish to use this new coating for four reasons.  Firstly, it addresses
the desire to use more natural raw materials in the manufacture of cheese rind.  Secondly,
this coating counteracts blistering in cheese during gas formation as an acetoglyceride-
based rind is only slightly permeable to gas.  Thirdly, an acetoglyceride-based rind attachesto cheese or a dispersion rind more firmly resulting in a less damage to the rind and
allowing for this to be divided more easily into portions.  And fourthly, the colourings
which have previously been permitted for this coating are not satisfactorily thermallystable whereas curcumin is.
From a public health point of view, there are no objections to the use of this product.The draft does not contain a clause of mutual recognition as Article 1 of the draft lays
down rules to protect public health.G/SPS/N/NLD/59
Page 2
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:  Commodities Act on
cheese rind coatings
10. Proposed date of adoption:   1 March 2003
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   2 March 2003
12. Final date for comments:  25 April 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:
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority,  [ X ]  National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: