G/SPS/N/CHN/1020  
 
19 November 2015  
(15-6135)  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 and Family Planning Commission of the People's 
Republic of China (NHFPC) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Food additive Propylene glycol alginate 
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: Food additive 
Propylene glycol alginate  Language(s): Chinese  Number of pages: 7 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/SPS/CHN/15_4642_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content: This standard applies to the food additive Propylene glycol 
alginate, which uses alginic acid as raw materi al and is obtained through esterification. It 
stipulates the technical requirements and test methods for Propylene glycol alginate. 
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.   
8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial  n u m b e r  o f  C o d e x  
standard or related text) Prepared at the 49th JECFA (1997), published in 
FNP52 (1997) 
[ ] 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: This standard revised based on requirements in Specifications 
and Standards for Food Additives in Japan (8th version). The differences are as shown 
below: G/SPS/N/CHN/1020 
 
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  Items JECFA National Food Safety 
 Propylene glycol Standard of the P.R.C. Food  alginate Additive Propylene glycol 
 alginate 
Esterification value, % ≥ - 40.0 
Insoluble ash, % ≤ - 1.0 
Loss on drying, % ≤ 20.0 20.0 
Arsenic, mg/kg ≤ 3 2 
Lead, mg/kg ≤ 5 5 
Assay (yields, on the dried 16 ～20 - 
basis, carbon dioxide CO2), % 
Total propylene glycol, % 15 ～45 - 
Free propylene glycol, % ≤ 15 - 
Microbiological Total plate 5,000 - 
criteria count, cfu/g ≤  
 Yeasts and  500 - 
 moulds 
 Coliforms Test negative - 
 Salmonella Test negative - 
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available: None   
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) : 18 January 2016 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
13. Text(s) available from: [ ] National Notifi cation Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: