. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/NZL/49 
18 November 2008  
 (08-5601) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  NEW ZEALAND
  
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:   
Food Standards Aust ralia New Zealand 
PO Box 7186 Canberra BC  ACT  2610 
AUSTRALIA 
Fax: (+61) 2 6271 2278    Email standards.management@foodstandards.gov.au
 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and web-site 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :    
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Packaged water products 
with added fluoride.  Imported as well as do mestically produced foods sold in New Zealand 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft Assessment for 
Application A588  – Fluoride in packag ed water  (115 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:  FSANZ has received an Applica tion to amend the Australia New 
Zealand Food Standards Code to approve the voluntary addition of fluoride to packaged 
water.  Specifically, it seeks permission to permit the additi on of fluoride to non-carbonated 
packaged water to between 0.6 and 1 mg/L (tot al of naturally occurri ng and added fluoride) 
and to require mandatory labelli ng to indicate that fluoride has been added.  The proposed 
change to the Code, if approved,  would only apply to packaged water with added fluoride, but 
not to products containing naturally occurring fluoride.   
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  All 
applications to change the Australia New Zeal and Food Standards Code, (the Code) must be 
assessed in the context of the following objectiv es:  (a) the protection of public health and 
safety; (b) the provision of adequate information relating to food to enable consumers to make 
informed choices; and (c ) the prevention of misleading or deceptive conduct.  
Currently, there is no permission in the Code fo r the addition of fluoride to packaged water.  
Hence, approval of this Application will pe rmit imported pr oducts with added fluoride, 
provided they meet the abovementioned compos ition and mandatory labelling requirements. G/TBT/N/NZL/49 
Page 2  
 
  8. Relevant documents:   Australia New Zealand F ood Standards Code (English) 
Draft Assessment Report:  App lication A588 Voluntary Addition Of Fluoride To Packaged 
Water (115 pages, in English) 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
  
Proposed date of entry into force:    Notification to Government anticipated March 
2009 with adoption (gazettal) to follow, pending Government consideration. 
March 2009 pending Government 
consideration. 
10. Final date for comments:  9 January 2009 
11. Text available from: National enquiry po int [ X], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addres ses, if available of the other body:   Documents are 
available from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website: 
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsd evelopment/documentsforpublicco868.cfm