. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/TPKM/50 
13 May 2005 
 (05-1942) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF 
TAIWAN, PENGHU, KINMEN AND MATSU  
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Department of Health 
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):  Polyvinyl alcohol 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable:  
Imported (as well as domestically produced) food s sold in the Separate Customs Territory of 
Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Draft of Scope, 
Application and Specification Standards of Food Additives:  Polyvinyl Alcohol (available in 
English, 4 pages). 
6. Description of content:  To establish the application and specification standards for a new 
food additive, polyvinyl alc ohol, as a coating agent. 
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. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:   The polyvinyl alcohol specification prepared at 
the 61th JECFA (2003) and published in FNP 52 Add 11 (2003), is one of the important 
references for establ ishing this standard. 
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Draft of Scope, 
Application and Specificat ion Standards of Food Additives:  Polyvinyl Alcohol  (22 April 
2005, Food No. 0940403369) available in English fro m the National Notification Authority, 
National Enquiry Point, and Department of Hea lth.  The standards will be published in the 
Official Government Gazette when adopted.   The full texts may be downloaded from the 
following website:  http: //food.doh.gov.tw/frontpage.asp. 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   To be determined. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   To be determined. G/SPS/N/TPKM/50 
Page 2  
 
 12. Final date for comments:  18 June 2005 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:    
Bureau of Food Safety 
Department of Health 
12F, 100 Ai-Kuo E. Rd., Taipei , Taiwan, Postal Code 100 
Tel:  886-2-23210151 ext 353 Fax:  886-2-23929723 E-mail:  fswang@doh.gov.tw 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
Bureau of Food Safety 
Department of Health 
12F, 100 Ai-Kuo E. Rd., Taipei , Taiwan, Postal Code 100 
Tel:  (+886) 2 23210151 ext 353 Fax:  (+886) 2 23929723 E-mail:  fswang@doh.gov.tw