G/SPS/N/CHN/1211  
 
13 April 2021  
(21-3037) 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 
(NHC)  
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 Beta-carotene  
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 Beta -carotene . Language(s):  Chinese . Number of pages:  7 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/SPS/CHN/21_2626_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  This standard applies to food additive beta -carotene using 
retinyl acetate or beta -ionone as starting material by chemical synthesis. It specifies the 
technical requirements and testing methods for the food additive beta -carotene.  
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] Code x Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : The specification of "β -CAROTENE, SYNTHETIC" 
prepared at the 87th JECFA (2019)  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Hea lth 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 deviates from the 
international standard:   
1. Loss on drying and Arsenic indicator is added;  
2. Other carotenoids indicator is removed;  
3. Residue on ignition is ≤0.2%.  G/SPS/N/CHN/1211  
 
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  Reason: The standard is based on the revision of "National Food Safety Standard of the 
P.R.C.: F ood additive Beta -carotene" (GB 8821 -2011), and combined with the actual 
quality status of Chinese products.  
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) : 12 June 2021  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail add ress 
(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]  Nation al 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