. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/CHN/489 
17 November 2011 
 (11-5925) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  CHINA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Health (MOH) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Food additive Magnesium sulfate 
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 of the P.R.C.:  Food 
Additive Magnesium Sulfate  Language(s):  Chinese  Number of pages:  9 
 http://members.wto.org/crnatt achments/2011/sps/CHN/11_3895_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  This standard applies to food additive magnesium sulfate made 
from natural magnesium carbonate (magnesite ), sulfuric acid and kieserite (MgSO4 H2) 
and sea water.  It specifies the scope, techni cal requirements and testing methods for food 
additive magnesium sulfate. 
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)  
 The specification of "Magnesium sulfate"  prepared at the 68rd JECFA(2007).  
[ ] 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:    G/SPS/N/CHN/489 
Page 2  
 
  The index of this standard goes as follows: 
I t e m          I n d e x  
Magnesium sulfate (on the ignited basis, MgSO 4), w/%   99.0 ～100.5 
Heavy metals (Pb) / (mg/kg)     ≤ 10 
Lead (Pb) / (mg/kg ）      ≤ 2 
Selenium (Se) / (mg/kg)      ≤ 30 
p H  ( 1  i n  2 0  s o l n )        5 . 5 ～7.5 
Chloride (Cl) / (mg/kg)      ≤ 300 
Arsennic (As) / (mg/kg)      ≤ 3 
Iron (Fe) / (mg/kg)      ≤ 20 
Loss on ignition (MgSO 4)，w/ %      ≤ 2 
 (MgSO 4·H2O), w/ %       1 3 . 0 ～16.0 
 (MgSO 4·3H 2O), w/ %       2 9 . 0 ～33.0 
 (MgSO 4·7H 2O), w/ %       4 0 . 0 ～52.0 
 (Dried) , w/ %        2 2 . 0 ～32.0 
 
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) :  16 January 2012 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:    
13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification  Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: