. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/CRI/25 
23 June 2005 
 (05-2667) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   REPUBLIC OF COSTA RICA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible: 
Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade (MEIC) 
Technical Regulation Body Tel.: (+506) 297-1439 Fax: (+506) 235-2700, ext. 265 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:  
Centro de Información de Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio (TBT Enquiry Point) 
Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio - MEIC Apartado Postal 10216-1000, San José Tel.:  (+506) 235-2700, ext. 206/203 
Fax:  (+506) 297-1439 
E-mail:  crotc@meic.go.cr Web site: www.reglatec.go.cr
 
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. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Margarine (HS tariff 
heading 1517.10.00) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   RTCR 393:2005: 
Margarina .  Especificaciones (Costa Rican Technical Regulation 393:2005:  Margarine.  
Specifications) (10 pages, in Spanish) 
6. Description of content:   This regulation sets forth the characteristics of and the quality and 
microbiological specifications for margarine, whether sold in bulk and directly to the consumer or to the food industry a nd public food services (catering trade). 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  
 To protect consumers and human health and safety;  to ensure product safety and 
quality. G/TBT/N/CRI/25 
Page 2  
 
 8. Relevant documents:   The following references were used  to draft this technical regulation 
and bring certain parameters into line with the  Codex Standard for margarine 
(CODEX STAN 210-1999): 
13.1 Dubinsky, Eduardo, "Utilización de an tioxidantes en grasas y aceites", (Use of 
antioxidants in fats and oils), "Aceites y Grasas
" (Fats and Oils), June 2000, p.191-199; 
13.2 Hui, Y. H., Bailey's Industrial Oil & Fat Products , Fifth edition, John Wiley & 
Sons, Inc., 1996, "Palm Oil"; 
13.3 Mertens, W.G., "Trace Metals and the Fla vor Stability of Margarine", Journal of the 
American Oil Chemists' Society ,  October 1971, p. 544-546; 
13.4 American Public Health Association, Standard Methods for the Examination of 
Dairy Products , 16th edition, APHA, Washington D.C., 1992; 
13.5 Official website of the American Public Health Association (APHA): 
http://www.apha.org; 
13.6 Official Codex Alimentarius we bsite: www.codexalimentarius.net; 
13.7 Standard on "USDA Specifications fo r Vegetable Oil Margarine" (effective 
August 28 1996), taken from the official website  of the U.S. Department for Agriculture: 
http://www.ams.usda.gov/dairy/vegoil.pdf; 
13.8 Code of Federal Regulations, "Margarin e", Title 21, Volume 2, Revised as of 
1 April 2003, taken from the official website of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):  http://www.fda.gov. 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 
Proposed date of entry into force:   To be determined 
6 months following publication in the Official 
Journal, La Gaceta . 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from the date of notification 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses,  if available, of the other body: 
Centro de Información de Obst áculos Técnicos al Comercio 
Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio – MEIC Apartado Postal 10216-1000, San José 
Tel.: (+506) 235-2700, ext. 206/203 
Fax: (+506) 297-1439 
E-mail: crotc@meic.go.cr 
Web site: www.reglatec.go.cr