G/SPS/N/CHE/85  
20 January 2022  
(22-0450) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  SWITZERLAND  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO  
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 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:  Ordinance on additives  (F: Ordonnance du DFI sur les 
additifs admis dans les denrées alimentaires  / D: Verordnung des EDI über die zulässigen 
Zusatzstoffe in Lebensmitteln ). Language(s):  French and German . Number of pages:  7 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/SPS/CHE/22_0587_00_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/SPS/CHE/22_0587_00_x1.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The text removes the authorization to use titanium dioxide 
(E 171) in foods based on the recent scientific opinion of the European Food Safety 
Authority (EFSA) concluding that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered as safe 
when used as a food additi ve.  
In order to allow for a smooth transition, the text lays down that foods that contain 
titanium dioxide (E 171) used in accordance with the rules applicable before the date of 
entry into force of the ordinance may be placed on the market until six mont hs after that 
date. Those foods may then continue to be marketed until their date of minimum durability 
or "use by" date.  
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.  On 6 May 2021, EFSA published an updated safety 
assessment for E 171. According to this, E 171 is no longer considered safe for use as a 
food additive. The EFSA safety assessment found that titaniu m dioxide is absorbed from 
the gastrointestinal tract to a very low extent, but takes a long time to be excreted from 
the body. In addition, titanium dioxide has the potential to accumulate in tissues. After 
evaluation of the available data, the suspicion of a mutagenic effect of titanium dioxide 
could not be invalidated. Based on this safety assessment, Switzerland decided that this 
additive should no longer be used in food.   
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) : Codex General Standard for Food Additives - Codex 
Stan 192 -1995 G/SPS/N/CHE/85  
 
- 2 - 
 
  [ ] 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?  
[ ] Yes   [X] No  
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from  the 
international standard:  The measure to no longer allow the use of titanium dioxide in 
foods is the consistant application of the knowledge gained from the recent EFSA scientific 
opinion on titanium dioxide (E 171). It concluded that titanium dioxide c an no longer be 
considered as safe when used as a food additive.  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Safety 
assessment of titanium dioxide (E171) as a food additive (European Food Safety Authority, 
EFSA Journal 2021; 19(5):6585, https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/65 85 
(available in English)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 14 February 2022  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 14 February 2022  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 15 March 2022 There is a transition period of six months after entry into 
force.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 8 February 2022  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
State Secretariate for Economic Affairs SECO  
Holzikofenweg 36, 3003 Bern  
Switzerland  
E-mail: sps@seco.admin.ch  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
State Secretariate for Economic Affairs SECO  
Holzikofenweg 36, 3003 Bern  
Switzerland  
E-mail: sps@seco.admin.ch