G/SPS/N/MEX/234  
11 April 2013  
(13-1892)  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 Salud (Ministry of Health), Secretaría de Economía 
(Ministry of the Economy) 
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): Cocoa, chocolate and other similar products, and cocoa byproducts. 
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-186-SSA1/SCFI-2012, Cacao, chocolate y productos similares, y derivados del cacao. Especificaciones sanitarias. Denominación comercial. Métodos de prueba  
(Draft Mexican Official Standard PROY-NOM-186-SSA1/SCFI-2012: Cocoa, chocolate and 
other similar products, and cocoa byproducts. Sanitary specifications. Trade description . 
Test methods) Language(s): Spanish Number of pages: 64 
http://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5294775&fecha=08/04/2013  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/sps/MEX/13_1494_00_s.pdf 
6. Description of content: The notified Standard establishes the sanitary and trade 
specifications for cocoa, chocolate and other similar products, and cocoa byproducts. 
It also establishes the generic and specific description for these products. It is mandatory for natural and legal persons involved in the processing or importation of the products 
covered by the Standard that are to be marketed in Mexican territory. 
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/MEX/234 
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8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text)  
 CODEX STAN 141-1983, Rev. 1-2001. Codex Standard for cocoa (cacao) mass 
(cocoa/chocolate liquor) and cocoa cake. 
 CODEX STAN 105-1981, Rev. 1-2001, Amendment 1, 2010. Codex Standard 
for cocoa powders (cocoas) and dry mixtures of cocoa and sugars. 
 CODEX STAN 87-1981, Rev. 1-2003. Codex Standard for chocolate 
and chocolate products. 
 CODEX STAN 86-1981, Rev. 1-2001. Codex Standard for cocoa butter. 
[ ] World Organisation 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? 
 [X] Yes [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible,  how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and langua ge(s) in which these are available:  
 G/SPS/N/MEX/158 
 G/SPS/N/MEX/218 
 G/SPS/N/MEX/218/Add.1 
 G/SPS/N/MEX/218/Add.2 
 Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-008-SCFI-2002, Sistema General de Unidades 
de Medida  (Mexican Official Standard NOM ‑008‑SCFI‑2002: General system of 
units of measurement). 
 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 sp ecifications for the labelling 
of pre‑packaged food and non ‑alcoholic beverages ‑ Commercial and health 
information). 
 Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-086-SSA1-1994, Bienes y servicios. Alimentos 
y bebidas no alcohólicas con modificaciones en su composición. Especificaciones nutrimentales  (Mexican Official Standard NOM-086-SSA1-1994: Goods and 
services. Foodstuffs and non-alcoholic beverages the composition of which has 
been modified. Nutritional specifications). 
 Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-127-SSA1-1994, Salud ambiental, agua para 
uso y consumo humano - Límites permisibles de calidad y tratamientos a que 
debe someterse el agua para su potabilización  (Mexican Official 
Standard NOM-127-SSA1-1994: Environmental health, water for human use and consumption ‑ Permissible limits and water purification treatment). 
 Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-243-SSA1-2010, Productos y servicios. Leche, 
fórmula láctea, producto lácteo combinado y derivados lácteos. Disposiciones 
y especificaciones sanitarias. Métodos de prueba  (Mexican Official 
Standard NOM-243-SSA1-2010: Goods and services. Milk, milk formula, combined dairy products and dairy byproducts. Health provisions and 
specifications. Test methods). G/SPS/N/MEX/234 
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   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 prac tices for the processing of foods, 
drinks and dietary supplements). 
 (available in Spanish)  
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. 
[X] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 6 June 2013 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
Comité Consultivo Nacional de Normalización de Regulación y Fomento Sanitario  (National 
Advisory Committee on Standardization for the Regulation and Promotion of Health) 
Oklahoma número 14 
Colonia Nápoles Delegación Benito Juárez Código postal 03810, México, D.F. 
Tel.: 5080-5200, Ext. 1333 
Fax: 5511-1499 
E‑mail: rfs@cofepris.gob.mx  
and/or 
Comité Consultivo Nacional de Normalizac ión de Seguridad al Usuario, Información 
Comercial y Prácticas de Comercio  (National Advisory Committee on Standardization for 
User Safety, Commercial Inform ation and Trade Practices) 
Avenida Puente de Tecamachalco número 6 Colonia Lomas de Tecamachalco, Sección Fuentes 
Naucalpan de Juárez 
Código postal 53950, Estado de México Tel.: (+52) 55 5729-9300, Ext. 43222 
13. Texts available from: [ ] National Notifi cation Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Subsecretaría de Competitividad y Normatividad 
Dirección General de Normas Av. Puente de Tecamachalco 6, Piso 2 Lomas de Tecamachalco 
Sección Fuentes, C.P. 53950 
Naucalpan de Juárez, Estado de México Tel.: (+52) 55 5729-9100, Ext. 43220 
E-mail: normasomc@economia.gob.mx  
Website: http://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5294775&fecha=08/04/2013  
 http://www.economia-noms.gob.mx/noms/inicio.do