. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/THA/97
2 July 2003
(03-3522)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THAILAND
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:  The Office of Food and Drug  Administration (Thai 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):   Methyl alcohol
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:   All
countries
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   The Ministry of Public
Health Notification No. 259 dated 9 July 2002 entitled "The Application of Methyl Alcoholas Processing Aids on Certain Foods" (2 pages, available in Thai)
6. Description of content:   As methyl alcohol is acceptable as a processing aid in food
production, the Minister of Public Health is authorized, where the Codex Standard is also
taken into account, to notify the public that meth yl alcohol may be used as a processing aid
on certain foods, namely:
(i) Calcium 5'-ribonucleotide or Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide which was determined as
specific-controlled-food under the Ministry of  Public Health Notification No. 38 (1979);
(ii) Stevioside which was determined as speci fic-controlled-food under the Ministry of Public
Health Notification No. 262 (2002).
Methyl alcohol within this authorization is re quired to have the nature, specification and
foreign matters limits set forth under this notification and the maximum limit (ML) on the
above foods is 50 mg./kg.
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. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [   ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:G/SPS/N/THA/97
Page 2
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:   The official gazette,
volume 119, special chapter 91 d, dated 30 September 2002 (2 pages, available in Thai).
10. Proposed date of adoption:   -
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   1 October 2002
12. Final date for comments:   -
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ X ] National notification
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority,  [ X ] National enquiry
point,  or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Authority designated to handle comments:
Enquiry point
National Bureau of Agriculture Co mmodity and Food Standards (ACFS)
Division of Agriculture Commod ity and Food Standards Policy
3 Ratchadamnern-Nok Road, Bangkok 10200
ThailandTel: (662) 629 8970
Fax: (662) 629 8978
Website: www.acfs.go.th
E-mail: acfspol@acfs.go.th