WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/MEX/218 
29 June 2009 
 (09-3147) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  MEXICO
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:  Secretaría de Salud (Ministry 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):  Cocoa, cocoa products and by-products, as well as products made with 
similar ingredients or procedures or having a similar appearance 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners, or 
[ ] Specific regions or countries: 
5. Title of the notified document:  NOM-186-SSA1/SCFI-2002, Productos y servicios.  
Cacao, productos y derivados.  I.  Cacao.   II.  Chocolate.  III.  Derivados.  
Especificaciones sanitarias.  Denominación commercial (Mexican Official Standard 
NOM-186-SSA1/SCFI-2002:  Goods and services.  Cocoa, cocoa products and by-products.  I.  Cacao.  II.  Chocolate.  III.  By-products.  Sanitary specifications.  Trade 
description).  Language:  Spanish Number of pages:  27 
Text available at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2009/sps/MEX/09_2216_00_s.pdf
 
6. Description of content:  The notified Mexican Official Standard is binding throughout 
Mexican territory on natural and legal persons  engaged in the processing or importation of 
the covered products. 
Producers and marketers of cocoa, cocoa produc ts and by-products are required to ensure 
within their own area of responsibility that the substances used for pest elimination at all 
stages of production comply with the specificat ions set forth in the current Official 
Pesticides Catalogue ( Catálogo Oficial de Plaguicidas ) issued by the Interministerial 
Commission for the Control of the Production a nd Use of Pesticides, Fertilizers and Toxic 
Substances ( Comisión Intersecretarial del Control del Proceso y Uso de Plaguicidas, 
Fertilizantes y Sustancias Tóxicas , CICOPLAFEST). G/SPS/N/MEX/218 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale:  [ X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ X] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [ ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests. 
The notified Mexican Official Standard estab lishes the sanitary specifications for cocoa, 
cocoa products and by-products, as well as pr oducts made with similar ingredients or 
procedures or having a similar appearance.  It also establishes the generic or specific 
description of such products. 
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) Codex Stan 141-1983:  Codex Standard for Cocoa Powders 
(Cocoas) and Dry Mixtures of Cocoa and Sugars ;  Codex Stan 87-1981:  Codex 
Standard for Chocolate and Chocolate Products;  and Codex Stan 86-1981:  Codex 
Standard for Cocoa Butter.  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM N°)  
[ ] 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:  Diario Oficial 
de la Federación  (Official Journal) of 8 November  2002.  Available in Spanish at: 
http://www.dof.gob.mx . 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
Propose date of publication ( dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  7 May 2003 
[ ] 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 handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  
Comité Consultivo Nacional de Normal ización de Regulación y Fomento Sanitario 
Torre Monterrey No. 33, PH, Esq.  Oaxaca Col.  Roma 06700, México D.F. Tel.: +(52 55) 5080-5200, Exts: 1480 and 1481 
Fax: +(52 55) 5511-1499 
Website: http://portal.salud.gob.mx/
  G/SPS/N/MEX/218 
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  13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification Authority, [ X] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Dirección General de Normas de la Secretaría de Economía 
Tel.: +(52 55) 5729-9300, Ext. 43217 Fax: +(52 55) 5520-9715 
E-mail: normasomc@economia.gob.mx 
Website: http://www.dof.gob.mx