. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/716 
25 July 2006 
 (06-3568) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  
  
 
  
SULPHUR DIOXIDE IN CINNAMON 
 
Letter from the SPS Chairperson and Response from the Codex Alimentarius Commission
 
 
 
 On 11 April 2006, the Chairperson of the SPS Committee sent the following letter to Dr. Claude J.S. Mosha, Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission: 
 
 "As you are aware, the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 
(the “SPS Committee”) has been monitoring  the use of international standards, 
guidelines and recommendations by WTO Members on the basis of a procedure it adopted in October 1997 and revised in J une 2005 (G/SPS/11/Rev.1).  The procedure 
in essence requires that a WTO Member bring to the attention of the SPS Committee concerns it may have regarding the non-u se of existing international standards, 
guidelines or recommendations, or the lack of  existence of such standards, in cases 
where this has a significant impact on their international trade.  Other WTO Members are then invited to comment on these issues, and to indicate the extent to which they 
share this concern.   
 At the meeting of the SPS Committee on 24 October and 1-2 February 2006, 
the delegation of Sri Lanka brought to the Committee’s attention particular problems 
that it is facing with the export of Ceyl on cinnamon due to the non-existence of a 
Codex standard for sulphur dioxide (SO2) residues in cinnamon.  More details are 
contained in the enclosed submissi on from Sri Lanka (G/SPS/W/187).   
 The usual procedure requires that I draw this matter to the attention of the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission following the adoption by the SPS Committee of its 
annual report regarding the procedure to  monitor the process of international 
harmonization at its June meeting each year.  However, in light of the importance of 
this matter to the exports of a developing country, and in the context of the upcoming 
meeting of the Codex Committee for Food Additives, the SPS Committee has agreed 
to the request by Sri Lanka that this matter be brought to your attention without delay.  
The SPS Committee would appreciate being kept informed of what consideration, if 
any, is given to the issue raised in this letter by the Codex." 
  G/SPS/GEN/716 
Page 2  
 
   On 18 July 2006, the following response was received from Dr. Mosha, Chairperson of the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission:  
 "Reference is made to your letter of 11 April 2006 which brought to the attention of the Codex Alimentarius Commission the concern expressed by the 
Delegation of Sri Lanka regarding the lack of a Codex standard for sulphur dioxide 
(SO
2) in cinnamon. 
 I am very pleased to inform you that the 29th Session of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission, held in Geneva from 3 to 7 July 2006, adopted a maximum level of use of 150 mg/kg for sulphites (including sulphur dioxide) in food 
category 12.2.1 "Herbs and spices" of the Codex General Standard for Food 
Additives (GSFA).  This maximum level w ill be included in the updated version of 
the GSFA, reflecting the latest decisions of the Commission, and in the updated version of the "GSFA Online" on the Codex website (http://www.codexalimentarius.ne t/gsfaonline/index.html). 
 In this regard, I would like to note that the rapid and positive action on the 
part of the Codex Alimentarius Commissi on would not have been possible without 
the proactive intervention made by the Delegation of Sri Lanka in the Codex 
Committee on Food Additives and Contaminan ts, and without the support of other 
Codex members on the proposal made by Sri Lanka." 
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