. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/NOR/24 
4 September 2007  
 (07-3714) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   NORWAY
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:   The Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  The food additive Red 2G (E128), a nd foodstuffs containing the food 
additive in question. 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  n.a.  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   
Norwegian: Forskrift om endring av fo rskrift 21. desember 1993 nr. 1378 om 
tilsetningsstoffer til næringsmidler ( Regulation Amending Regulation 21 December 1993 
No 1378 on Food Additives for Use in Foodstuffs ) 
6. Description of content:  The regulation suspends the use of the food additives Red 2G 
(E128) in food. Furthermore, the regulation suspends the placing on the market and the import of foodstuffs containing Red 2G (E128). 
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   
Food additives may only be used when there is evidence that its use is not harmful to 
health. Norway has implemented directive 94/ 36/EC on colours for use in foodstuffs and 
thus authorised the use of Red 2G (E128) in  breakfast sausages with a minimum cereal 
content of 6% and burger meat with a minimum cereal content of 4%.  
The European Food Safety Authority has re-evaluated the safety of the colour Red 2G 
(E128) and has withdrawn its ADI. The reason is that Red 2G (E128) is readily and 
extensively metabolised to aniline. Aniline is considered as a carcinogen for which a 
genotoxic mechanism cannot be excluded.  
The substance Red 2G (E128) is therefore not  suitable for use as a food additive and the 
use of Red 2G (E128), the import and placing on the market of foodstuffs containing Red 
2G (E128) is therefore suspended. G/SPS/N/NOR/24 
Page 2  
 
  8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  On 26 July the 
European Communities adopted a Commission Regulation on emergency measures suspending the use of E128 Red 2G as a food colour. 
Norway is not a member of the Europ ean Communities.  However, Norway has 
implemented Directive 94/36/EC on colour for use in foodstuffs.  Norway deems it 
important to adopt emergency measures against food additives that may be harmful to 
health.  For this reason Norway has amende d current legislation on food additives which 
implements the emergency measures given in the Commission Regulation (EC) No 884/2007 of 26 July 2007. 
9. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [ X ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the 
appropriate reference and briefly identify deviations:   
The Codex General Standard on  Food Additives is under deve lopment and has so far no 
provisions for  Red 2G (INS 128). 
10. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   - 
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):     Immediately 
12. 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:  
 The Norwegian Food Safety Authority  
 Head Office  P.O. Box 
 N-2381- Brumunddal 
 Fax:  +(47) 2321 6801  E-mail:  postmottak@mattilsynet.no 
13. Texts available from: [   ] National notification authority, [   ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
 The Norwegian Food Safety Authority  
 Head Office 
 P.O. Box 
 N-2381- Brumunddal  Fax:  +(47) 2321 6801  E-mail:  postmottak@mattilsynet.no