. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/41 
7 July 2005 
 
 (05-3002) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   COSTA RICA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio (MEIC), Dirección de 
Mejora Regulatoria y Reglamentación Técnica, y Ministerio de Salud  (Ministry of the 
Economy, Industry and Trade, Regulatory Improvement and Te chnical Regulation 
Directorate, and Ministry of Health) 
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):  Margarine (HS tariff heading 1517.10.00) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
parties trading this product with Costa Rica. 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  RTCR 393:2005:  
Margarina.  Especificaciones  (Costa Rican Technical Regula tion No. 393:2005:  Margarine.  
Specifications) (10 pages, in Spanish). 
6. Description of content:   This Regulation sets forth the characteristics of and quality and 
microbiological specifications for margarine sold either in bulk directly to the consumer or to 
the food industry and public f ood services (catering trade). 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,   
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ] protect territory from other damage from pests  
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE),  [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:  
 (CODEX STAN 210-1999) 
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:   The following 
references were used to draft this technical regulation and bring certai n parameters into line 
with the Codex Standard for Ma rgarine (CODEX STAN 210-1999): 
- Dubinsky, Eduardo, "Utilización de antioxidantes en grasas y aceites" (Use of 
antioxidants in fats and oils), in Aceites y Grasas  (Fats and Oils), June 2000, p. 191-199; 
- Hui, Y. H., Bailey's Industrial Oil & Fat Products , Fifth edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 
1996, "Palm Oil"; G/SPS/N/CRI/41 
Page 2  
 
  - Mertens, W.G., "Trace Metals and the Flavor Stability of Margarine", in Journal of the 
American Oil Chemists' Society , October 1971, p. 544- 546; 
- American Public Health Association, Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy 
Products , 16
th edition, APHA, Washington D.C., 1992; 
- Official website of the American Public Health Association (APHA):  
http://www.apha.org ; 
- Official Codex Alimentarius we bsite: www.codexalimentarius.net ; 
- Standard on "USDA Specifications fo r Vegetable Oil Margarine" (effective 
28 August 1996), taken from the official website of the U.S. Department for 
Agriculture:  http://www.ams.usda.gov/dairy/vegoil.pdf ; 
- Code of Federal Regulations, "Margarin e", Title 21, Volume 2, Revised as of 
1 April 2003, taken from the official website  of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA):  http://www.fda.gov . 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   To be determined 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   Six months after publicatio n in the Offi cial Journal 
La Gaceta . 
12. Final date for comments:   60 days as of the date of notification. 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  
13. Texts available from:  [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería 
Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado Centro de Información y Notificación en Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias Apartado Postal 70-3006 
Barreal de Heredia, Costa Rica 
Tel.: (+506) 260-8300, Ext. 2065 Fax: (+506) 260-8301 E-mail: notificaciones@protecnet.go.cr