. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/CHN/495 
18 November 2011 
 (11-5967) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  CHINA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Health (MOH) 
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):  Food additive vegetable activated carbon (wooden activated carbon) 
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:  National Food Safety Standard of the P.R.C.:  Food 
Additive Vegetable Activated Ca rbon (Wooden Activated Carbon)  Language(s):  Chinese  
Number of pages:  7 
 http://members.wto.org/crnatt achments/2011/sps/CHN/11_3923_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  This standard applies to food ad ditive vegetable activated carbon 
(wooden activated carbon) made from plant materi als such as sawdust, coconut shells, and 
nutshells through physical or chemical method.  
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. 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)  
 The specification of activated carbon prepared at the 37th JECFA(1990). 
[ ] 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 Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [ ] Yes   [X] No G/SPS/N/CHN/495 
Page 2  
 
   If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
The index of this standard goes as follows: 
I t e m         I n d e x   
Iodine number (dry basis) / (mg/kg) ≥ 400 
Loss on drying / %  ≤ Representations of the  
  vendor 
Sulfated ash (dry basis) / % ≤ 5.0 
Cyanogen compounds (dry basis)  Pass test Higher aromatic hydrocarbons (dry basis)  Pass test Water extractables (dry basis) / % ≤ 4.0 
Arsenic (As)  / (mg/kg) ≤ 3 
Lead (Pb) / (mg/kg) ≤ 10 
Note:  Sulfated ash of activated carbon by phosphoric acid method NMT 7.0%. 
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  None   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [X] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  17 January 2012 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:    
13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification  Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: