G/SPS/N/CHN/732
20 January 2015
(15-0380)  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 Commission of the People's 
Republic of China (NHFPC) 
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 Sodium hydroxide 
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: Food additive Sodium 
hydroxide  Language(s): Chinese  Number of pages: 8 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/sps/CHN/15_0313_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content: This standard applies to food additive sodium hydroxide. It 
specifies the technical requirements and testing methods for food additive sodium 
hydroxide. 
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 stan dard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) CAC: The specification of  Sodium hydroxide prepared 
at JECFA (2006) 
[ ] 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: The different indexes of this standard are as follow: In this 
standard, the total alkali content as sodium hydroxide (NaOH)( w): as solid 98.0%-
100.5% or as liquid, 98.0%-103.5%; sodium carbonate (Na
2CO3)(w) ≤ 2.0%; the 
content of arsenic (As) ≤ 3 mg/kg; the content of heavy metals (Pb) ≤ 5 mg/kg; the 
content of mercury (hg) ≤ 0.1 mg/kg. This standard is consistent with the actual 
condition of Chinese products. G/SPS/N/CHN/732 
 
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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) : 21 March 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: