G/SPS/N/CHN/948  
 
4 September 2015  
(15-4486)  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 Commision of the People's 
Republic of China 
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 Karaya gum 
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 of the P.R.C.: Food 
additive Karaya gum  Language(s): Chinese  Number of pages: 4 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/SPS/CHN/15_3379_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content: This standard applies to food additive Karaya gum that is a 
dried and smashed exudation from the stems and branches of Sterculia urens Roxburgh 
and other species of Sterculia. This standa rd specifies the technical requirements and 
determination methods for the food additive Karaya gum.  
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) The specification of Karaya gum described at the 
57th JECFA (2011) 
[ ] 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 is deleted volatile acid, and in method of Acid-
insoluble substance, Gum cannot be completely dissolved based on the method 
described in JECFA which uses hydrochloric acid to filter the sample under 105°C. 
Therefore, sulphuric acid is used to filter the residue under 105°C for 4h in this standard. G/SPS/N/CHN/948 
 
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  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) : 3 November 2015 
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: