. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/NIC/89 
7 March 2008 
 (08-1003) 
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:   NICARAGUA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Ministerio de Fomento, Industria y Comercio  (Ministry of 
Development, Industry and Trade) 
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:    
Ministerio de Salud  (Ministry of Health) 
Dirección de Regulación de Alimentos  (Directorate of Food Regulation) 
Tel.: 289-4700, ext. 217 Fax: 289-4700, ext. 115 
E-mail: eta@minsa.gob.ni
  or  alimento@minsa.gob.ni  
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):   International 
Classification for Standards (ICS) code 67.050 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   RTCA 67.04.50:08: 
Alimentos. Criterios microbiológicos para la inocuidad de los alimentos  (Central American 
Technical Regulation (RTCA) No. 67.04.50:08:   Food products.  Microbiological criteria 
for food safety) (34 pages, in Spanish). 
6. Description of content:   The notified Regulation seeks to establish the microbiological 
parameters and permissible limits for the re gistration and sanitary surveillance of food 
products. 
 The provisions of this Regulation apply to all food products marketed in 
Central American countries. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:    
 Protection of human health. 
8. Relevant documents:   Decree No. 977/96, Official Journal of 13 May 1997: Reglamento 
Sanitario de los Alimentos  (Food Health Regulations);  
Argentine Regulation, Section V:  De los criterios microbiológicos  (Microbiological 
criteria); G/TBT/N/NIC/89 
Page 2  
 
  8. Relevant documents:   (cont'd) 
CAC/GL 21-1997: Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological 
Criteria for Foods; 
CAC/STAN 192-1995, Rev. 5 (2004):  
General Standard for Food Additives.  Appendix B to 
CAC/MISC 6-2001:  List of Codex Advisory Spec ifications for Food Additives;  
International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF).  Micro-
Organisms in Foods 2:  Sampling for Microbiological Analysis:  Principles and Specific 
Applications .  Second Edition;  
MERCOSUR Technical Regulation (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Venezuela); Normas Microbiológicas por Alimentos de España  (Spanish microbiological standards for 
food).  Grupo de alimentos de la Soc iedad Española de Microbiología  (Working Group on 
Food of the Spanish Microbiological Society). 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   Upon publication in the Official Journal. 
To be determined. 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days as 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:   
Ministerio de Fomento, Industria y Comercio 
Centro de Información sobre Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio Tel.: (+505) 267-0161, Ext. 1130 or 1048 Fax:  (+505) 270-9956 
E-mail: valeria.pineda@mific.gob. ni  or  dtnm@mific.gob.ni