. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/TPKM/14
18 December 2002
(02-6976)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF
TAIWAN, PENGHU, KINMEN AND MATSU
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Department of Health
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):  Sodium dehydroacetate
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
Imported (as well as domestically produced) foods sold in the Separate Customs Territory of
Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Proposed ban on the use
of sodium dehydroacetate as  a food additive (1page)
6. Description of content:   
(1) Sodium dehydroacaetate (C 8H7O4Na) is the sodium salt of dehydroacetaic acid, and has
been used in food as a preservative.
(2) In the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, sodium
dehydroacaetate has been permitted to be used in cheeses, butter, cream, margarine with
the amount not more than 0.5 g/kg (calculated as dehydroacetic acid) under the
regulations of "Scope and Applicati on Standards of Food Additives" since 1987.
(3) Very limited research data can be found for th e toxicity evaluation on this chemical.  No
adequate scientific data was found to ensure that the chemical is safe to be used as a food
additive.  Oppositely, some data mentione d that sodium dehydroacetate may induce an
experimental teratogen.
(4) In the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, sodium
dehydroacetate is added illegally very often in food such as cakes, cookies and breads,according to the inspection record s of the health authorities.
(5) The domestic manufacturers of cheeses, butte r, cream, and margarine have denoted that
sodium dehydroacetate is not a necessary food additive for their products.  There are
some other legal alternative food additives may be used.  Prohibiting the use of sodium
dehydroacetate will not disturb the manufacturing.
(6) Considering the use of sodium dehydroacaetat e may present a potential risk to the public
health and sodium dehydroacaetate is not a necessity on technical aspect, the authority
has proposed to ban the use of sodi um dehydroacetate as a food additive.G/SPS/N/TPKM/14
Page 2
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
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:
"Proposed ban on the use of sodium dehydro acetate as a food additive" (27 November 2002,
Food No.0910074529, available in English from the De partment of Health).  The order will
be published in the Official Government Gazette when adopted.
10. Proposed date of adoption:   1 July 2003
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   1 July 2003
12. Final date for comments:  10 February 2003
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:
Bureau of Food Sanitation
Department of Health
12F, 100 Ai-Kuo E. Rd., Taipei, Taiwan, Postal Code 100
Tel:  886-2-23210151 ext 353
Fax:  886-2-23929723E-mail:  fswang@doh.gov.tw
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority,  [   ]  National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Bureau of Food Sanitation
Department of Health
12F, 100 Ai-Kuo E. Rd., Taipei, Taiwan, Postal Code 100Tel:  886-2-23210151 ext 353
Fax:  886-2-23929723
E-mail:  fswang@doh.gov.tw