G/SPS/N/MEX/294  
12 January 2016  
(16-0216)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: MEXICO 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible: Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y 
Alimentación , SAGARPA (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries 
and Food) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS num bers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable): Agave syrup  
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: Proyecto de Norma Oficial Mexicana PROY-NOM-003-
SAGARPA-2015, relativa a las características de sanidad, calidad, inocuidad, trazabilidad, etiquetado y evaluación de la conformidad del jarabe de agave  (Draft Mexican Official 
Standard PROY-NOM-003-SAGARPA-2015 on the health, quality, safety, traceability, 
labelling and conformity assessmen t requirements for agave syrup) Language(s): 
Spanish Number of pages: 45 
http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.p hp?codigo=5420774&fecha=21/12/2015 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/SPS/MEX/16_0084_00_s.pdf 
6. Description of content: From a geographical viewpoint, the notified draft Mexican Official 
Standard is mandatory throughout the United Mexican States and in any country where a sovereign decision is made to adopt it, with in the framework of the rules and conventions 
governing international law. 
It is applicable, where appropriate and in accordance with the provisions set forth therein, 
to all natural or legal persons engaged in activities relating to the production, preparation, 
processing (in-bond or otherwise), distribution, marketing, supplying, advertising, 
importation or storage of agave syrup, and/or in any other form of industrial, assessment-related or commercial activity pertaining to this product. 
Regarding its material scope, the notified text covers the health, quality, safety, 
traceability and labelling requirements, and permitted designations and conformity 
assessment procedures, including inspection and control mechanisms, for products corresponding to the following description: Aque ous solution, of a viscous consistency, with 
a high concentration of carbohydrates, pu rified, and characterized by a sweet taste 
produced through hydrolysis from agave-de rived fructans. Such products must be 
identified using the designations set forth in this draft Mexican Official Standard. 
Any products, even where not consistent with the above description, that allude to the 
product in question, whether through information provided to consumers in general or through advertising of any sort, regardless of  medium, or through text, dialogue, sounds, 
images, marks or other descriptions that lead or may lead consumers to believe that such 
products are agave syrups, will also be covere d by the scope of this draft Mexican Official G/SPS/N/MEX/294 
- 2 - 
  Standard and thus evaluated in accordance therewith, and may be considered in violation 
of this Standard's provisions where not in conformity with the parameters, characteristics, 
controls, processes and requirements provided for in this mandatory technical regulation.  
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:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text)  
[ ] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention ( e.g. ISPM No. ) 
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard? 
[ ] 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: 
 Ley de Productos Orgánicos  (Law on Organic Products), published in the Mexican 
Official Journal on 7 February 2006. 
 Reglamento de la Ley de Productos Orgánicos  (Implementing regulations for the Law 
on Organic Products), published in the Mexican Official Journal on 1 April 2010. 
 Acuerdo por el que se determinan los aditivos y coadyuvantes en alimentos, bebidas y 
suplementos alimenticios, su uso y disposiciones sanitarias  (Agreement establishing 
the additives and processing aids used in food, beverages and food supplements, the 
use thereof and health provisions), published in the Mexican Official Journal on 16 July 2012. 
 Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-030-SCFI-2006, Información comercial - Declaración de 
cantidad en la etiqueta. Especificaciones  (Mexican Official Standard NOM-030-
SCFI-2006: Trade information - Quantity declarations on labels. Specifications), published in the Mexican Official Journal on 6 November 2006.  
 Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010, Especificaciones generales de 
etiquetado para alimentos y bebidas no alcohólicas preenvasados - Información comercial y sanitaria  (Mexican Official Standard NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010: General 
specifications for the labelling of pre-packaged food and non-alcoholic beverages - 
Commercial and health information), published in the Mexican Official Journal on 5 April 2010. 
 Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-210-SSA1-2014, Productos y servicios. Métodos de 
prueba microbiológicos. Determinación de microorganismos indicadores. Determinación de microorganismos patógenos  (Mexican Official Standard NOM-210-SSA1-2014: 
Goods and services. Microbiological test methods. Determination of indicator 
microorganisms. Determination of pathogenic microorganisms), published in the 
Mexican Official Journal on 26 June 2015. 
 Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-218-SSA1-2011, Productos y servicios. Bebidas 
saborizadas no alcohólicas, sus congelados, productos concentrados para prepararlas y 
bebidas adicionadas con cafeína. Especificaciones y disposiciones sanitarias . Métodos 
de prueba  (Mexican Official Standard NOM-218-SSA1-2011: Products and services. 
Non-alcoholic flavoured beverages, whether or not frozen, concentrated products for 
the preparation thereof, and beverages containing added caffeine. Sanitary specifications and provisions. Test methods), published in the Mexican Official Journal on 10 February 2012. 
 Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-251-SSA1-2009, Prácticas de higiene para el proceso de 
alimentos, bebidas o suplementos alimenticios  (Mexican Official Standard NOM-251-
SSA1-2009: Hygiene practices for the processing of foods, drinks and dietary G/SPS/N/MEX/294 
- 3 - 
  supplements), published in the Mexica n Official Journal on 1 March 2010. 
 Norma Mexicana NMX-F-607-NORMEX-2013, Alimentos. Determinación de Cenizas en 
Alimentos. Método de Prueba (Mexican Standard NMX-F-607-NORMEX-2013: Food. 
Determination of ash in food. Test method). Notice of entry into force published in the Mexican Official Journal on 8 August 2013. 
 Norma Mexicana NMX-F-317-NORMEX-2013, Alimentos. Determinación de pH en 
Alimentos y Bebidas no alcohólicas. Método de Prueba  (Mexican Standard NMX-F-317-
NORMEX-2013: Food. Determination of pH of food and non-alcoholic beverages. Test 
method). Notice of entry into force published in the Mexican Official Journal on 8 
August 2013. 
(The above texts are available in Spanish) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 60 calendar days after publication in the 
Official Journal. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable. 
[X] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 12 March 2016 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and email address (if 
available) of other body:  
Secretaría de Economía  (Ministry of the Economy) 
Subsecretaría de Competitividad y Normatividad  (Undersecretariat of Competitiveness and 
Standardization) 
Dirección General de Normas  (General Directorate of Standards) 
Tel.: +(52) 55 5729 9100, Ext. 43244 
Fax: +(52) 55 5520 9715 
Website: http://www.economia-noms.gob.mx/?P=144  
Email: normasomc@economia.gob.mx and/or sofia.pacheco@economia.gob.mx 
Text available online at: 
http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.p hp?codigo=5420774&fecha=21/12/2015 . 
13. Text(s) available from: [X] National Notifi cation Authority, [ ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body: 
Secretaría de Economía 
Subsecretaría de Competitividad y Normatividad 
Dirección General de Normas 
Tel.: +(52) 55 5729 9100, Ext. 43244 Fax: +(52) 55 5520 9715 
Website: http://www.economia-noms.gob.mx/?P=144  
Email: normasomc@economia.gob.mx and/or sofia.pacheco@economia.gob.mx 
Text available online at: 
http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.p hp?codigo=5420774&fecha=21/12/2015 .