. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1914 
22 April 2009  
 (09-1914) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES  
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Environmental Protection Agency 
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):  Food contact substances 
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:  Thymol;  Exemption from the Requirement of a 
Tolerance  Language:  English  Number of pages:  5 
6. Description of content:  This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of 
a tolerance for residues of thymol (as present in thyme oil) in or on food commodities when 
applied/used in/on public eating places, dairy processing equipment, and/or food 
processing equipment and utensils. 
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:  
[   ] 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 N°)     
[ X ] None 
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:    G/SPS/N/USA/1914 
Page 2  
 
  9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  This 
document has been published in the Federal Register and can be found at:  Federal 
Register:  25 March 2009 (Volume 74, Number  56) Rules and Regulations;  Pages 12613-
12617;  http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA -PEST/2009/March/Day-25/p6262.htm
 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  25 March 2009 
Propose date of publication ( dd/mm/yy) :   
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [   ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  25 March 2009 
[   ] Trade facilitating measure 
12. Final date for comments: [   ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or ( dd/mm/yy ):  26 May 2009 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National Notification 
Authority, [   ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:    
Mark Hartman, Antimicrobials Division (7510P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; Tel:  +(703) 308 0734.  Please 
reference docket EPA-HQ-OPP- 2007-0081. 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National Notification Authority, [   ] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:    
United States SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 
International Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1027, Washington D.C. 
20250;  Tel:  +(1 202) 720 1301;  Fax:  +(1 202) 720 0433;  E-mail:  us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov