WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/106 
7 March 2011 
 (11-1128) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  COSTA RICA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganaderí a, Servicio Nacional de Salud 
Animal, SENASA (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Animal Health Service)
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):  ICS code 67.100.30 
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:  RTCR 444:2010 Reglamento Técnico Queso Gouda  
(Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 444:2010:  Technical Regulation for 
Gouda Cheese)  Language:  Spanish Number of pages:  13 
Text available online at: 
http://www.senasa.go.cr/senasaweb/ documentosenconsultaOMC.html  and 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2011/sps/CRI/11_0673_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The notified Technical Regulation es tablishes the characteristics of 
and specifications for Gouda cheese intended fo r direct consumption or further processing. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[X] 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)  
[ ] 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 G/SPS/N/CRI/106 
Page 2  
 
   Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard? 
 [X] Yes [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard: 
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available: 
• Costa Rica.  Decreto Ejecutivo  (Executive Decree) of the Ministry of the Economy, 
Industry and Trade No. 30256-MEIC-S, Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 135:2002:  Etiquetado Nutricional de los Alimentos Preenvasados  (Nutrition 
labelling of pre-packaged food), published in La Gaceta (Official Journal) No. 71 of 
15 April 2002; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade 
No. 26012-MEIC of 15 April 1997, Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 100:1997:  Etiquetado de los Alimentos Preenvasados  (Labelling of pre-packaged 
foods) and amendments thereto, published in  Official Journal No. 91 of 14 May 1997; 
• Executive Decree No. 31595-S of 2 December 2003:  Reglamento de Notificación de 
Materias Primas, Registro Sanitario, Impor tación, Desalmacenaje y Vigilancia de 
Alimentos  (Regulation on the notification of raw materials and the sanitary registration, 
importation, customs clearance and monitoring  of foodstuffs) and amendments thereto, 
published in Official Journal No. 16 of 23 January 2004; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade and Ministry of 
Agriculture and Livestock No. 33288-MEIC-MAG-S of 16 May 2006, Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 395:2006:  Para el Uso de Términos Lecheros  
(Use of dairy terms), published in Offi cial Journal No. 164 of 28 August 2006; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Ministry of the Economy, 
Industry and Trade No. 33371-COMEX-MEIC of 10 August 2006 issuing Resolution No. 168-2006 (Council of Ministers for Economic Integration (COMIECO) XLIX), Central American Technical Regulation (RTCA) No. 01.01.11:06:  Cantidad de 
Producto en Preempacados (Quantity of product in pre-packages), published in 
Official Journal No. 194 of 10 October 2006; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade and Ministry of 
Agriculture and Livestock No. 33812-MEIC-MAG-S of 6 February 2007, Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 401-2006:  Leche cruda y leche higienizada  
(Raw milk and processed milk) and amendments  thereto, published in Official Journal 
No. 112 of 12 June 2007; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, Ministry of the Economy, Industry 
and Trade and Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock No. 35485-COMEX-S-MEIC-MAG of 15 June  2009 issuing Resolution No. 243-2009 
(COMIECO LV) approving Central American Technical Regulation (RTCA) No. 67.04.50:08:  Alimentos.  Criterios Microbiol ógicos para la inocuidad de los 
alimentos  (Food products.  Microbiological criteria for food safety), published in 
Official Journal No. 184 of 22 September 2009; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade and Ministry of 
Agriculture and Livestock No. 34922-MEIC-MAG-S, Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 407-2007:  Reglamento Técnico General para Quesos  
(General Technical Regulation for Cheese), published in Official Journal No. 238 of 9 December 2008.  G/SPS/N/CRI/106 
 Page 3 
 
 
  10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Date of publication in the Official Journal 
La Gaceta.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [X] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure 
12. Final date for comments:  [X] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  6 May 2011 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería 
Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal (SENASA) Centro de Información y Notificación en  Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias 
Apartado Postal 10094-1000 San José, Costa Rica 
Tel.: +(506) 2549 3454 
Fax: +(506) 2549 3599 E-mail: notificaciones@sfe.go.cr Website: http://www.senasa.go.cr