G/TBT/N/CRI/138  
 
1 March 2013  
(13-1108)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: Spanish  
 
 NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Notifying Member:  COSTA RICA 
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible:    
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers and e-mail and 
website addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle 
comments regarding the notification shall be indicated if di fferent from above:    
TBT Enquiry Point 
Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio  (Ministry of the Economy, Industry 
and Trade) Apartado Postal 10216-1000  Tel.: (+506) 2291-2115, Ext 206  
Fax: (+506) 2291-2015  
E-mail: crotc@meic.go.cr   
Website: http://www.reglatec.go.cr   
3. Notified under Arti cle 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 provid ed in addition, where applicable):   
International Classification for Standards (ICS) code: 67.100 
5. Title, number of pages and lang uage(s) of the notified document:   
RTCR 465:2012. Reglamento Técnico para Leches Fermentadas (Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation (RTCR) No. 465:2012 on fermented milks) (17 pages, in Spanish)  
6. Description of content:   The notified Technical Regulation applies to fermented milks, 
including heat-treated fermented milks, concentrated fermented milks and composite 
milk products based on these products, for direct consumption or further processing. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:   Protection of human life and health and prevention of practices likely to 
mislead or deceive consumers. G/TBT/N/CRI/138 
 
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8. Relevant documents:    
- Codex Alimentarius. CODEX STAN 243-2003: "Codex Standard for Fermented 
Milks". Italy; 
-  Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 36463-MEIC, RTCR 443:2010 Metrología. Unidades de 
Medida. Sistema Internacional (SI)  (Executive Decree of the Ministry of the 
Economy, Industry and Trade No. 36463 ‑MEIC, Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation (RTCR) No. 443:2010: Metrology. Measurement units. International 
System (SI)) of 26 November 2010, published in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 56 
of 21 March 2011; 
- Book entitled "Probiotics". 2012. Chapter 1, page 4. Reference to the fact that 
lactic bacteria are GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe, US Food and Drug 
Administration) and therefore safe; 
- Las guías alimentarias para Costa Rica (Food guides for Costa Rica) . 2010. 
Comisión Intersectorial de Guías Alimentarias para Costa Rica. Ministerio de Salud . 
Intersectoral Commission on food guides for Costa Rica. Ministry of Health). 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 
 
Proposed date of entry into force:   Upon publication in the Official Journal 
La Gaceta . 
Six months after publication in the 
Official Journal. 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days as from the date of notification. 
11. Texts available from:  National enquir y point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and e-mail and website addresse s, if available, of other body: 
TBT Enquiry Point 
San José,  Costa Rica 
Tel.: (+506) 2291-2115, Ext. 206 
Fax: (+506) 2291-2015  E-mail: crotc@meic.go.cr   
Website: http://www.reglatec.go.cr  
Text available at: 
http://www.meic.go.cr/reglatec/ consulta/lechefermentada.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/TBT/CRI/13_0825_00_s.pdf