G/TBT/N/MWI/30  
 
12 February 2019  
(19-0795) 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: MALAWI   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible: Malawi Bureau of Standards  
Name and address (including telephone 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 [ X], 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): Smoked 
finfish, smoke -flavoured finfish and smoke -dried finfish – Specification; - Smoked fish, 
including fillets:  (HS 03054). Fish and fishery products (ICS 67.120.30).  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: DMS 117:2018, 
Smoked finfish, smoke -flavoured finfish and smoke -dried finfish - Specification 
(9 page(s), in English)    
6. Descrip tion of content: This draft standard applies to smoked, smoke -flavoured and 
smoke -dried finfish prepared from fresh, chilled or frozen raw material. It deals with whole 
finfish, fillets and sliced and similar products thereof. The standard applies to finfi sh, 
either for direct consumption, for further processing, or for addition into speciality or 
minced products where finfish constitutes only part of the edible contents.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Consumer information, labelling; Prevention of deceptive practices and 
consumer protection; Protection of human health or safety; Quality requirements  
8. Relevant documents:   
1. MS 19:  Labelling of prepacked foods - General standard;  
2. MS 21:  Food and food processing units - Code of hygienic conditions;  
3. MS 188: Edible salt - Specification;  
4. MS 214:  Potable water - Specification;  
5. MS 237:  Food additives - General Standard;  
6. MS 302:  General standard for contaminants and toxins in foods and feed;  
7. MS 790:  Code of practice for fish and fishery products;  
8. MS 935:   Principles and guidelines for the establishment and application of 
microbiological criteria related to foods;  
9. CODEXSTAN 233: Sampling plans for prepackaged foods (AQL -6.5); G/TBT/N/MWI/30  
 
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  10. CODEX STAN 244: Standard for salted herring and sprats ;  
11. MS 1241: Guidelines for the sensory evaluation of fish and shellfish in 
laboratories;  
12. CAC/GL 61: Application of general principles of f ood hygiene to the control of 
Listeria monocytogenes in ready to eat foods ; 
13. CAC/GL 68: C ode of practice for the reduction of contamination of food with 
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from smoking and direct drying 
processes;  
14. ISO 4833: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs - Horizontal method for 
the enumeration of microorganisms - Colony -count technique at 30 degrees;  
15. ISO 6579: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs - Horizontal method for 
the detection of Salmonella spp.;  
16. ISO 6888:  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs -Horizontal method for 
the enumeration of coagulase -positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and 
other species);  
17. ISO 7251: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs - Horizontal method for 
the detec tion and enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli - Most probable 
number technique;  
18. ISO 7937: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs - Horizontal method for 
the enumeration of Clostridium perfringens - Colony -count technique;  
19. ISO 11290: Microbio logy of the food chain - Horizontal method for the detection 
and enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes and of Listeria spp.;  
20. ISO 21807: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs - Determination of 
water activity;  
21. ISO 21872: Microbiology of food and a nimal feeding stuffs - Horizontal method 
for the detection of potentially enteropathogenic Vibrio spp.  
22. AOAC, 937.09, 952.08: Determination of water phase salt;  
23. AOAC 950.46.A:  Determination of moisture in meat ; 
24. AOAC 977.13: Determination of histamine;  
25. AOAC 977.26: Determination of Clostridium botulinum; and 
26. AOAC 983.18: D etermination of moisture in meat and meat products - 
preparation of sample procedure   
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 notification  
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/MWI/19_0791_00_e.pdf