G/TBT/N/BHR/380
15 January 2015 
(15-0271)  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: KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):    
2. Agency responsible: Bahrain Standards & Metrology Directorate (BSMD) 
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 : 
Ministry of  Industry and Commerce  
Kingdom of Bahrain 
P.O. Box 5479  Tel.: +973 17574871 Fax: +973 17530730 
E-mail: bsmd@moic.gov.bh   
Web site: http://www.moic.gov.bh   
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 applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable): Microbiological criteria 
for foodstuffs (I CS Code: 67.050) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Microbiological 
criteria for foodstuffs (28 pages, in English; 41 pages, in Arabic) 
6. Description of content: This draft technical regulation is concerned with microbiological 
limits for some foodstuffs intended for human consumption and for some food ingredients used in food industry, definition, requirements, criteria of technical conformity.
 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
To maintain quality of this product, consumer protection and marketing relation of GCC countries and food safety. 
8. Relevant documents:   
1. Brockmann, S., Piechotowski, I., Kimmig, P. (2004). Salmonella in Sesame Seed 
Products. J Food Prot 67 (1), p: 178-180; 
2. Bull, A., Crerar, S., and Beers, M. (2002). Australia's Imported Food Program - A 
Valuable Source of Information on Microorganisms in Foods. CDI 26(1), 28-32. (11, 30); 
3. CAC/GL 50-2004 General Guidelines on Sampling; 
4. Codex Standard 292-2008. Standard for Live and Raw Bivalve Mollusks; 
5. Commission Regulation (EC) No 1441/2007 of 5 December 2007 amending 
Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs. Official 
J Eur. Union. (1, 25). (1, 36). (1, 19). (1, 21); 
6. Food Administration Manual, S.11: Microbiological Reference Criteria for Food, 
Version 2 (1995), p: 25,16,15,14, 17, 21, 23, 18, 19, and 20; G/TBT/N/BHR/380 
 
- 2 - 
 
  7. Gilbert, RJ Louvois, J de Donovan, T & others (2000). Guidelines for the 
Microbiological Quality of Some Ready-To-Eat Foods Sampled at the Point of Sale. Commun Dis Public Health, 3 (3): 163-7; 
8. GSO 1017/98 Edible Essential Water Rose Water - Flower Water; 
9. GSO 1320/2002 Soft Candy; 
10. GSO 1821/2007 General Standard for Fruit Juices and Nectars; 
11. GSO 1822/2007 Cream Caramel Powder; 
12. GSO 1968/2009 Concentrated Cane Syrup; 
13. GSO 1969/2009 Liquorice Root; 
14. GSO 222/2005 Table Olives; 
15. GSO 263/1994 Hard Candy; 
16. Guidelines for Assessing The Microbiological Safety of Ready-To-Eat Foods Placed on 
The Market. London: Health Protection Agency, November 2009; 
17. Hasell, S., Salter, M. (2003). Review of the Microbiological Standards for Foods. 
Food Control 14, p: 391-398. Ref12, 395; 
18. Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) Standards and Guidelines for 
Microbiological Safety of Food - An Interpretive Summery - 2008. Canadian Food 
Inspection Agency (CFIC); 
19. International Commission on Microbiological Specification for Foods (ICMSF). 
Microorganisms in Foods - 2. Sampling for Microbiological Analysis: Principles & 
Specific Applications (1986) 2nd ed.; 
20. Isolation and Enumeration of Cronobacter Sakazakii from Dehydrated Powdered 
Infant Formula, FDA US, 2002; 
21. Standard 1.6.1 – Microbiological Limits for Food. Volume 2 of the Food Standards 
Code, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (ANZFA), 2001; 
22. Tomato Products - Specification, Part-3: Sauce and Ketchup, 2005. Kenya Bureau of 
Standards (KEBS); 
23. Varga, L. (2007) Microbiological Quality of Commercial Dairy Products. 
Communicating Current Research and Educational Topics and Trends in Applied 
Microbiology A. Méndez-Vilas (Ed.), p: 487-494. 
www.ams.usda.gov/standards/peanutbu.pdf ; 
24. Dean O Clayfire, translation Prof. Dr. Mesfer Al Daqel, Dr Ismaeell Al Shayb (2010), 
Food-Borne Diseases. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   To be determined 
Proposed date of entry into force:   To be determined   
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from date of notification  
11. Texts available from: Nati onal enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
Ministry of  Indu stry and Commerce 
Kingdom of Bahrain 
P.O. Box 5479 Tel.: +973 17574871 Fax: +973 17530730 
E-mail: bsmd@moic.gov.bh  
Web site: http://www.moic.gov.bh