WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/AUS/302 
7 August 2012  
 (12-4354) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  AUSTRALIA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  Packaged or bottled water 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners This notification relates to imported as well as domestically 
produced packaged and bottled water sold in Australia / New Zealand.  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Call for submissions for Application A1043 World Health 
Organization limits for packaged water   Language(s):  English  Number of pages:  21 
"http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/foodstandards/ changingthecode/documentsforpublicco8
68.cfm " 
6. Description of content:  This Application seeks to amend the Australia New Zealand Food 
Standards Code (the Code) by removing th e currently permitted chemical limits for 
packaged water and replacing those limits with reference to:  Table A3 .3 Guideline values 
for chemicals that are of health significance in drinking-water, Annex 3 Chemical summary 
tables, in the Guidelines for Drinking-Wa ter Quality, 4th edition, World Health 
Organization, Geneva 2011.  
FSANZ proposes to make two exceptions to these limits.  Firstly, to set a maximum level 
for total fluoride (naturally occurring and added)  at 1.0 mg/L.  Secondly, to set a maximum 
level for styrene at 0.03 mg/L. 
Some bottled/packaged natural spring or minera l waters may contain chemical substances 
in excess of the maximum levels indicated in the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water 
Quality and/or the proposed maximum level for fluoride. 
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.    G/SPS/N/AUS/302 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)  
 CODEX STAN 227-2001 General Standard fo r Bottled/Packaged Drinking Waters 
[ ] 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 Application does not seek to adopt the CODEX STAN 227-
2001 into the Code.  The above mentioned Codex Standard references the chemicals that are 
of health significance in drinking-water in the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water 
Quality. The Application seeks to incorporat e the chemical limits listed in the WHO 
Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality into the Code, with the exception of fluoride and styrene. The maximum level for total fluorid e (naturally occurring and added) would be 
limited to 1.0 mg/L based on FSANZs own dietary intake assessment of fluoride by 
Australian and New Zealand consumers.  The maximum level for styrene would be limited 
to 0.03 mg/L consistent with it permitted use as a processing aid in packaged water in the 
Code. 
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  Australia New 
Zealand Food Standards Code  (available in English) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Notification to Government anticipated 
October 2012 with adoption (gazettal) to fo llow, pending Government consideration 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  Date of Gazettal pending Government 
consideration. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  Three (3) years after gazettal pending Government consideration (see 10. 
above). 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  2 October 2012 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Food Standards Australia New Zealand 
PO Box 7186 Canberra BC  ACT  2610 Australia Fax: +(61) 2 6271 2278 
E-mail:  standards.management@foodstandards.gov.au  G/SPS/N/AUS/302 
 Page 3 
 
 
  13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
Documents are available from the Food St andards Australia New Zealand website: 
"http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/foodstandards/ changingthecode/documentsforpublicco8
68.cfm ". 
Copies are also available from: 
The Australian SPS Notification Point 
GPO Box 858 Canberra  ACT  2601 Australia Fax:  +(61) 2 6272 3678    E-mail:  sps.contact@daff.gov.au