. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/CHN/480 
17 November 2011 
 (11-5916) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  CHINA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Health (MOH) 
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):  Food additives 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  National Food Safety Standard of the P.R.C.:  General 
Standard for the Labelling of Food Additives  Language(s):  Chinese  Number of 
pages:  4 
 http://members.wto.org/crnatt achments/2011/sps/CHN/11_3886_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  This standard applies to the labelling of "food additives" sold by 
retail or by non-retail, including label and inst ructions.  This standard does not apply to 
flavouring substances. 
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:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)  
 CODEX STAN 107-1981 General Standard for the Labelling of Food Additives 
When Sold As Such  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[ ] None G/SPS/N/CHN/480 
Page 2  
 
  Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [ ] Yes   [X] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
Sale by retail  in this standard means any sale to a person or catering business, yet in Codex 
Stan 107-1981, it does not include the sale to catering business. 
In this standard, the words "food additive" and "sale by retail" are required to be labelled 
clearly in a marked position on food additives sal e by retail.  The words "food additive" and 
"non-retailing" shall be labelled for food add itives sold by non-retail.  There is no such 
requirements included in Codex Stan 107-1981. 
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  None   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [X] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  16 January 2012 
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:    
13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification  Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: