G/SPS/N/CHN/1248  
 
29 September 2022  
(22-7330) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  CHINA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China  
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):  Food additive Methyl cellulose  
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:  National Food Safety Standard of the P.R.C.: Food 
additive Methyl Cellulose . Language(s):  Chinese . Number of pages:  7 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/SPS/CHN/22_6519_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  This standard applies to natural cellulose such as wood pulp o r 
cotton pulp as raw material, after alkali and etherification treatment, and then washed and 
dried to make food additives methyl cellulose. It mainly specifies the technical 
requirements and inspection methods of methyl cellulose.  
7. Objective and ration ale: [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) : The specification of " Methyl Cellulose " prepared at the 
57th JECFA (2001)  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Heal th Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [X] No  
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviat es from the 
international standard:   
1. The viscosity index and its test method is added;  
2. Methoxy content is specified as 27.5%~31.5 %; The test method is specified as gas 
chromatography;  
3. Drying reduction is specified NMT 5 %; The test method is specified as 105  °C drying 
2h; 
4. pH requirements are not specified.  G/SPS/N/CHN/1248  
 
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  Reason: The standard is based on the revision of "National food safety standard: Food 
additive Methyl cellulose" (GB 1886.256 -2016), and combined with the actual quality 
status of Chinese pr oducts.  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 28 November 2022  
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:   
WTO/SPS National Notification and Enquiry Center of the People's Republic of China  
Tel: +(86 10) 5795 4645/5795 4642  
E-mail: sps@customs.gov.cn  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
WTO/SPS National Notification and Enquiry Center of the People's Republic of China  
Tel: +(86 10) 5795 4645/5795 4642  
E-mail: sps@customs.gov.cn