. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/HKG/34 
16 April 2010  
 (10-1941) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  HONG KONG, CHINA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Food and Health Bureau 
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):  Sweeteners 
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:  Paper for the Legislative Council Panel on Food Safety 
and Environmental Hygiene:  Proposed Amendm ents to the Sweeteners in Food Regulation 
Language:  Chinese and English  Number of pages:  3   
6. Description of content:  This paper aims to consult Legislative Council Members of 
Hong Kong, China on the proposals of adding (a) neotame and (b) steviol glycosides which 
have been determined to be safe by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organisation/World 
Health Organisation Expert Committee on Fo od Additives (JECFA) to the list of the 
permitted sweeteners specified in the Schedul e to the Sweeteners in Food Regulations. 
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.  To align the permitted sweeteners in Food Regulations with the latest 
international and scientific development. 
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)  
 Neotame (INS 961) is included in Codex General Standard For Food Additives 
(GSFA) CODEX STAN 192-1995 . 
Steviol glycosides (INS 960) have been determined to be safe by JECFA.  
Currently, Codex is drafting provisions for steviol glycosides in food. 
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    G/SPS/N/HKG/34 
Page 2  
 
  [ ] None 
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:  -   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  1 August 2010 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  Published 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  1 August 2010 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  21 June 2010 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr09-10/english/ panels/fseh/papers/fe0309cb2-1026-5-e.pdf   
(English)  
http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr09-10/chinese/pa nels/fseh/papers/fe0309cb2-1026-5-c.pdf   
(Chinese)  Food Branch 
Food and Health Bureau 
20/F, Murray Building Garden Road Hong Kong Fax:  +(852) 2136 3281 
E-mail:  enquiry@fhb.gov.hk