G/SPS/N/ZAF/51  
 
18 April 2017  
(17-2058) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member: SOUTH AFRICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible: Department of Health. Directorate: Food Control  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as spe cified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Edible v egetables and certa in roots and tubers 
(HS Code: 07);  Edible fruits and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons (HS  Code: 08) ; 
Coffee, tea, mate and spices (HS  Code: 09);  Cereals (HS  Code: 10) ; Oil seeds and 
oleaginous fruit; miscel laneous grains, seeds and fruit;  industrial or medicinal plants; 
straw and fodder (HS  Code: 12);  Sugar and sugar confectionery (HS  Code: 17)  
4. Regions or cou ntries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:  
5. Title of the notified document: Regulations governing the Maximum Limits for 
Pesticide Residues that may be present in Fo odstuffs: Draft amendment.  Language(s): 
English . Number of pages: 16 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/SPS/ZAF/17_1877_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of cont ent: The proposed Draft amendment to the Regulation makes 
provision for the maximum limits for pesticide residues in foodstuffs under the control of 
the Department of Health, in terms of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 
1972 (Act 54 of 1972 ). 
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 standard? If so, iden tify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
 CAC/GL 33 -1999 - Recommended Methods of Sampling for the Determination 
of Pesticide Residues for Compliance with MRLs  
 CAC/GL 40 -1993 - Guidelines on Good Laboratory Practice in Pesticide 
Residue Analysis  
 CAC/GL 41 -1993 - Portion of Commodities to which Maximum Residues Limits 
Apply and which is Analyzed  
 CAC/GL 56 -2005 - Guidelines on the Use of Mass Spectrometry (MS) for 
Identification, Con firmation and Quantities Determination of Residues  
 CAC/GL 59 -2006 - Guidelines on Estimation of Uncertainty of Results  
 CAC/GL 84 -2012 - Principles and Guidance on the Selection of Representative 
Commodities for the Extrapolation of Maximum Residue Limits f or Pesticides 
to Commodity Groups  G/SPS/N/ZAF/51  
 
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   CAC/MISC 4 -1989 - Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds  
[ ] 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: Deviations may occur because South Afri can Good Agricultural 
Practices(GAP) related to, among others, field trials conducted in this country, is used in 
estimation of MRLs. In addition, exposure assessments of pesticides are conducted using 
South African consumption data.  
The original regulatio n however, indicates that where food is imported into South Africa, 
and if MRLs are more restrictive that Codex MRLs, the Codex MRL will be accepted 
provided that the exposure to the population is not a risk to human safety.  
9. Other relevant documents an d language(s) in which these are available: 
Government Gazette No. 40772 dated 7 April 2017  (available in English)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 28 February 2018  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 28 February 2018  
11. Proposed date of e ntry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : After publication of the final regulations.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 17 June 2017  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
Department of Health  
Directorate: Food Control  
Private Bag X828  
Pretoria  
0001 
Tel: + (27 12 ) 395 9359  
Fax: + (27 12 ) 395 8854  
E-mail: Aluwani.Madzivhandila@health.gov.za  
and copy: Maryke.Herbst@health.gov.za  
13. Text(s)  available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Ad dress, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Department of Health  
Directorate: Food Control  
Private Bag X828  
Pretoria  
0001 
Tel: +(27 12) 395 9359  
Fax: +(27 12) 395 8854  
E-mail: Aluwani.Madzivhandila@health.gov.za  
and copy: CACPSA@he alth.gov.za  
Website:  http://www.health.gov.za/index.php/shortcodes/2015 -03-29-10-42-47/20 15-
04-30-09-10-23/2015 -04-30-09-11-35/category/36 -documents -for-comment