G/SPS/N/ZAF/78  
 
22 December 2022  
(22-9710) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  SOUTH AFRICA  
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):  Foodstuffs  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Regulations Governing the Maximum Limits for Pesticide 
Residues that may be present in Foodstuffs: Draft amendment . Language(s):  English . 
Number of pages:  17 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/SPS/ZAF/22_8822_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The proposed Draft amendment to the Regulations makes 
provisio n for the maximum limits for pesticide residues in foodstuffs under the control of 
the Department of Health, in terms of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetic and Disinfectants Act, 
1972 (Act 54 of 1972)  
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. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
− CXG 33 -1999 Recommended Methods of Sampling for the Determination of 
Pesticide Residues for Compliance with MRLs  
− CXG 40 -1993 - Guidelines on Good Laboratory Practice in Pesticide Residue 
Analysis  
− CXG 41 -1993 - Portion of Commodities to which Maximum Residues Limits 
apply and which is analyzed  
− CXG 56 -2005 - Guidelines on the Use of Mass Spectrometry (MS) for 
Identification, Confirmation and Quan titative Determination of Residues  
− CXG 84 -2012 - Princi ples and Guidance on the Selection of Representative 
Commodities for the Extrapolation of Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides to 
Commodity Groups  
− CXG 90 -2017 – Guidelines on performance Criteria for Methods of Analysis for 
the Determination of Pesticide Residues in Food and Feed  
− CXA 4 -1989 - Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds  G/SPS/N/ZAF/78  
 
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  [ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM numbe r):  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [X] No  
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  Deviations may occur because South African Good Agricultural 
Practices(GAP) related to, among others, field trials conducted in this country, is used in 
estimation of MRLs. In addition, exposure assessments of pesticides are conducted using 
South African c onsumption data.  
The original regulation , however, indicates that where food is imported into South Africa, 
and if MRLs are more restrictive that Codex MRLs, the Codex MRL will be accepted 
provided that the exposure to the population is not a risk to human  safety.  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
Government Gazette No. 47632 dated 2 December 2022  (available in English)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 1 September 2023  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 1 September 2023  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : Entry into force will be after the publication of the final amendment to the 
Regulations . 
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 20 February 2023  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Department of Health  
Directorate: Food Control  
Private Bag X828  
Pretoria  
0001 
Tel: + (27 12 ) 395 9359  
Fax: + (27 12 ) 395 8854  
E-mail: foodcontrol@health.gov.za  and copy: CACPSA@health.gov.za  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Department of Health  
Directorate: Food Control  
Private Bag X828  
Pretoria  
0001 
Tel: + (27 12 ) 395 9359  
Fax: + (27 12 ) 395 8854  
E-mail: foodc ontrol@health.gov.za  and copy: CACPSA@health.gov.za