G/SPS/N/THA/263  
 
14 February 2019  
(19-0851) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member: THAILAND  
If applicable, name of local government involved: - 
2. Agency responsible: Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA)  
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): Foods (ICS Code: 67.040)  
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 MOPH Notification, B.E..., entitled "Maximum 
levels for contaminants and toxins in food" . Language(s): Thai. Number of pages: 15 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/SPS/THA/19_0847_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content: Since contamination and mycotoxins generally may  imply a risk 
to human health and since Codex has established the General Standard for Contaminants 
and Toxins in Food and Feed (CXS 193 -1995),  the Ministry of Public Health has amended 
the maximum level requirements of contaminants and toxins in food as f ollows:  
1) The MOPH will revoke several MOPH notifications regarding the ML requirements as 
shown in Annex 1 and replace them with the MLs as shown in Annex 2 of this draft 
notification.  
2) Annex 2 sets out the maximum levels fo r certain contaminant s including:  
a) heavy metals (i.e. arsenic, c admium, mercury, lead and tin);  
b) mycotoxins (i.e. aflatoxin, Deoxynivalenol, Fum onisins B1+B2 and Ochratoxin A);  
c) other contaminants (i.e. hydrocyanic acid, cyclopropenoid fa tty acid, melamine, 
3-MCPD); and  
d) radionuclides (i.e . Pu-238, I -129, Cs -137 C -14). 
3) The methods of analysis for concerned contaminants shall comply with  the methods 
prescribed in Annex 3.  
4) This draft n otification shall not apply to:  
a) food additives, processing aid that comply with MOPH n otification Re: food 
additi ves; 
b) drinking water in seal c ontainer that comply with MOPH n otification Re: d rinking 
water in seal container;  
c) mineral water that comply with MOPH  notification Re: mineral water;  
d) flavouring agents that comply wit h MOPH n otification Re: flavouring agents;  
e) other foods with maximum levels of contaminants and toxins that have been  
specifically announced by MOPH . G/SPS/N/THA/263  
 
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  5) Manufacturers or importers of food shall comply with this draft notification within 
180 days from the date of entry into force of this draft n otification.  
6) This draft notification shall come into force from the day following the date of its 
publication in the Government Gazette.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/p lant 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) : CXS 193-1995 
[ ] 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 int ernational 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) : 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) : On the date after being notified in the Royal Gazette.  
[ ] Trade facilitating meas ure  
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 15 April 2019  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address,  fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS)  
50 Phaholyothin Road, Ladyao  
Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900  
Thailand  
Tel: +(662) 561 4024  
Fax: +(662) 561 4034  
E-mail: spsthailand@gmail.com  
Website: http://www.acfs.go.th  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of ot her body:   
E-mail: spsthailand@gmail.com