G/SPS/N/LKA/43  
 
9 January 2020  
(20-0246) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  SRI LANKA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Food Control Administration Unit, Ministry of Health, Nutrition and 
Indigenous Medicine  
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 applic able):  Food products  
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:  Draft Food (Fish and Fish Products) Regulations 2020 . 
Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  15 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/LKA/20_0158_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  These regulations set out several requirements for Fresh Fish, 
Chilled Fish, Frozen Fish, Canned Fish, Dried Fish, Maldive Fish, Smoked Fish, and 
Comminuted Fish Products and Fish (or prawn or shrimp) Paste, Fish Sauce.  
According to these regulations, Fish means cold blooded (ectothermic) aquatic vertebrates 
including crustacean, cephalopods, molluscs and other aquatic life that is edible to human 
beings, harvested from marine, brackish water or fresh water sources. Fish exclude 
amphibians and aquatic reptiles.  
These regulations prescribe the histamine level, formaldehy de level, heavy metal levels 
and microbiological limits for each type of fish and fish product.  
The limits for food additives permitted for Quick frozen whole fish, fish fillet, minced fish 
and fish sticks are mentioned in Schedule I, Regulation No. 20.  
The limits for food additives permitted for canned fish are mentioned in Schedule II, 
Regulation No. 23(xiv).  
The limits for food additives permitted for Comminuted fish are mentioned in Schedule III, 
Regulation No. 27(iii).  
The limits for food additives per mitted for Fish sauce are mentioned in Schedule IV, 
Regulation No. 29(xi).  
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.   G/SPS/N/LKA/43  
 
- 2 - 
 
  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) : CXS 36 -1981, CXS 119 -1981, CXS 165 -1989, CXS 
167-1989, CXS 190-1995, CXS 222 -2001, CXS 302 -2011, CXS 311 -2013 
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 12 March 2020  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [X]  Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) :  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 9 March 2020  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax nu mber and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
National Notification Authority:  
Dr Anil Jasinghe  
Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine  
No. 385, Rev. Baddegama Wimalawansa Thero Mawatha  
Colombo 10  
Tel: +(94 11) 269 4860  
Mobile: +(94 77) 738 3758  
Fax: +(94 11) 269 3869  
E-mail: dghs@health.gov.lk  
Website: http://www.health.gov.lk  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
National Enquiry Point:  
Dr Lakshman Gamlath  
Deputy Director General, Environmental,Occupational Health & Food Safety  
Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine  
No. 385 Rev. Baddegama Wimalawansa Thero Mawatha  
Colombo 10, Sri Lanka  
Tel: +(94 11) 267 2004  
Fax: +(94 11) 267 2004  
E-mail: ddgeohfs@health.gov.lk  
 codexlanka@health.gov.lk  
Website: http://www.health.go v.lk