G/TBT/N/ZAF/159  
 
14 February 2013  
(13-0823)  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:  SOUTH AFRICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 
Name and address (including telephon e 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 :   
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 
Directorate: Food Safety and Quality Assurance 
Private Bag x343 Pretoria 0001 South Africa 
Telephone:  (+27) 12 319 6027 
Telefax:  (+27) 12 319 6055 E-mail:  niele@daff.gov.za  
Website:  http://www.daff.gov.za  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading.:  HS 0201 Meat of Bovine animals, Fresh or Chilled; HS 0204 Meat of Sheep or 
Goats, Fresh, Chilled or Frozen; HS 0209.00 Pig Fat, Free of lean meat Poultry Fat, Not 
rendered or otherwise extracted, Fresh, chilled, Frozen, Salted, in brine, dried or smoked.   
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) Meat (Beef, Small 
Stock (Sheep and Goats) and Pigs) (ICS 67.120). 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Regulations 
regarding the classification and marking of meat intended for sale in the Republic of South 
Africa (27 pages, in English).     
6. Description of content:  It is a revision of the present quality regulations that prescribe a 
voluntary classification system for meat (Beef, Small Stock (Sheep and Goats) and Pigs) 
implemented by participating abattoirs.  The meat is classified mainly according to age and fatness, with conformation, damage and gender also playing a role, and the carcasses are 
then marked and roller-marked in the abattoir according to the classification.  The 
regulations do not address meat safety issues.  
It will enable meat traders to describe their product in simple terms when purchasing and 
selling carcasses.  Enable the industry to utilize a variety of meat quality and prices in the 
market with optimum co nsumer satisfaction. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Consumer Information and Labelling.  
8. Relevant documents:   Draft document: "Regulations regarding the classification and 
marking of meat intended for sale in the Republic of South Africa".  G/TBT/N/ZAF/159 
 
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  9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    1 July 2013 
10. Final date for comments:  15 April 2013 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [X], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresse s, if available of the other body:    
WTO/TBT Enquiry Point 
South Africa Bureau of Standards 
Private Bag X191 
Pretoria 0001 Telephone:  +(27) 12 428 6561 Email:  wto@sabs.co.za  / ronel.greyvenstein@sabs.co.za   
Website:  http://www.sabs.co.za