. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/LKA/27 
1 June 2011  
 (11-2746) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  SRI LANKA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Food Control Administration Unit 
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):  Shelf life of imported foods 
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:  Food (Shelf Life of Importe d Food Items) Regulations 
2011  Language(s):  English , Sinhala and Tamil  Number of pages:  3 
6. Description of content:  These regulations Food (Shelf Life of Imported Food Items) 
cover: 
• the minimum period of unexpired shelf life; 
• shall not be enforced in respect of im ported fresh fruits, vegetables and potatoes 
which have not been peeled or cut; 
• the expression "end of shelf life" must use the words "date of expiry", "best 
before", "use by", or "use before" or similar words which convey the meaning. 
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)   
[ ] 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  G/SPS/N/LKA/27 
Page 2  
 
  Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [ ] 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:  Food (Shelf 
Life of Imported Food Items) Regulations 20 11, published in the Gazette Extraordinary 
No1694/5 of 23 February 2011 (available in English, Sinhala and Tamil.  Electronic 
English version also available)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  31 January 2011 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  23 February 2011 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  1 August 2011 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [X] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Additional Secretary/ Medical Services I 
Ministry of Health "Suwasiripaya" No.385, Rev. Baddegama Wimalawansa Thero Mawatha 
Colombo - 10 
Sri Lanka Tel:  +(94 11) 269 3175 Fax:  +(94 11) 269 1605 E-mail: codexlanka@health.gov. lk OR codexcontact@gmail.com 
 ddgphs@gmail.com 
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
Additional Secretary/ Medical Services I 
Ministry of Health "Suwasiripaya" No.385, Rev. Baddegama Wimalawansa Thero Mawatha Colombo - 10 
Sri Lanka 
Tel:  +(94 11) 269 3175 Fax:  +(94 11) 269 1605 E-mail: codexlanka@health.gov. lk OR codexcontact@gmail.com 
 ddgphs@gmail.com