G/TBT/N/SGP/20  
 
14 February 2014  
(14-0909)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member:  SINGAPORE  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:  Agri-Food and Veterinary Au thority of Singapore (AVA) 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :    
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided  in addition, where applicable):  Food 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft Food 
(Amendment) Regulations 2014     
6. Description of content:  The Agri-Food & Veterinary Auth ority of Singapore (AVA) has 
reviewed the Food Regulations and proposes  t o  m a k e  a n  e d i t o r i a l  a m e n d m e n t  t o  t h e  
mandatory statements that must be declared on food products containing phytosterols, 
phytosterol esters, phytostanols and phytostanol esters.  
Presently, food products containing phytosterols, phytosterol esters, phytostanols and 
phytostanol esters are required to carry the following mandatory statements on their 
product labels: 
- The product is a special purpose food intended exclusively for people who want to 
 lower their blood cholesterol level; - Patients on cholesterol lowering medication should only consume the product under  medical supervision; 
- The product may not be nutritionally appropriate for pregnant and breast-feeding 
 women and children under the age of 5 years; - The product should be used as part of a balanced and varied diet, including regular 
 consumption of fruit and vegetables to help maintain carotenoid levels; 
- Consumption of more than 3 g per day of added phytosterols or phytostanols should 
 be avoided; and 
- A statement suggesting the amount of the food (in g or ml) to be consumed each 
 time (referred to as a serving) and the number of servings suggested to be  consumed per day, with a statement of the amount of phytosterols or phytostanols  that each serving contains. 
Singapore proposes to amend the above mandatory statements to the following: 
- The product may not be nutritionally appropriate for pregnant and breast-feeding 
 women and children under the age of 5 years; 
- The product should be used as part of a balanced diet; G/TBT/N/SGP/20 
 
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  - A statement recommending the daily consumption of 2 - 3g of 
 phytosterols/phytostanols. 
- A statement of the amount of phytosterols, phytosterol esters (calculated as 
 phytosterols), phytostanols or phytostanol esters (calculated as phytostanols) that 
 each serving contains. 
(The above amendment is also notified via SPS notification.) 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health  
8. Relevant documents:   Proposed regulations available from National Enquiry Point   
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    1 June 2014 1 June 2014 
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from the date of notification. 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [  ], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresse s, if available of the other body:   
The proposed regulations will be made available at the following website: 
http://www.ava.gov. sg/Legislation/L istOfLegislation/  
Alternatively, please write in to: 
Regulatory Administration Group 
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority 5 Maxwell Road #18-00 Tower Block MND Complex Singapore 069110 
Tel.:  +(65) 6325 3092 
Fax.:  +(65) 6220 6068 E-mail:  low_teng_yong@ava.gov.sg