WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/THA/120 
2 December 2004 
 (04-5249) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd 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 numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Fermented Milk (ICS 67.100) 
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:   Draft Notification of the 
Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) N°....., B.E. ...., entitled "Fermented Milk" (5 pages in Thai) 
6. Description of content:  The MOPH is proposing to ame nd the provisions on fermented 
milk as follows: 
1)  The MOPH Notification No. 46 (B.E. 2523) and No. 99 (B.E. 2529) are hereby cancelled 
and superseded by this notification. 
2)  The fermented milk is stipul ated as "specific controlled food". 
3)  The fermented milk means "dairy products de rived from edible milk of animal origin or 
from treated dairy components which have b een fermented with unharmed microbes and, 
dressed up with flavouring, coloring, food a dditives, food essences or any other non-dairy 
components;  including heat-treated , frozen or dried fermented milk". 
4)  Classification of fermented milk acco rding to defined microbes are:  Yoghurt, 
Acidophilus Milk, Kefir, Kumys, and other pr oduct fermented with non-defined microbes. 
5)  Fortification shall be complied  with the Thai FDA requirements. 
6)  The fermented milk can be heat-treated after fermentation by pasteurization, UHT or any 
other equivalent treatment. 
7)  The standard for fermented milk in cluding heat-treated, frozen and dried. 
8)  If dressed up, the fermented milk content shall be at least 50% by weight and complied 
with standard requirements. 
9)  The handling of non heat-treated or pasteu rized fermented milk after packaging until final 
consume shall be kept at 8°C or below and sh elf life period not over 30 days except frozen or 
dried fermented milk. G/SPS/N/THA/120 
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 10)  The UHT fermented milk shall be kept at least 5 days at room temperature after 
packaging date to evaluate the quality before releasing to commercial distribution. 
11)  The application of food additives shall be  complied with specific requirements on food 
additives. 
12)  Producers, importers of fe rmented milk shall comply with specific requirements on 
production method, equipments and storage. 
13)  Container of fermented milk shall be  complied with specific requirements on food 
packaging. 
14)  Labelling if fermented milk shall be co mplied with specific requirements on food 
labeling, in additional, the product name and label of certain ferm ented milk shall be 
complied with addition requirements in this notification. 
15)  Producers, importers who received the food serial number before the effective date of 
this proposal shall submit its  application for new provisions  within 180 days after the 
effective date, and the current label is extendible but not beyond 1 year. 
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, guideline or recommendation:  
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] 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:  Not available 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   To be determined 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   the day after being notified in the National Gazette. 
12. Final date for comments:  60 days after notification date to WTO Members. 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or  address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:    
National Bureau of Agricultural Co mmodity and Food Standards (ACFS) 
Division of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards Policy 3 Ratchadamnern-Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200 Thailand 
Tel:  (662) 629 8970 
Fax:  (662) 629 8978 Website:  www.acfs.go.th E-mail:  sps@acfs.go.th  G/SPS/N/THA/120 
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 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: 
National Bureau of Agricultural Co mmodity and Food Standards (ACFS) 
Division of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards Policy 3 Ratchadamnern-Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200 
Thailand 
Tel:  (662) 629 8970 Fax:  (662) 629 8978 Website:  www.acfs.go.th E-mail:  sps@acfs.go.th