. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/61 
21 April 2008 
 (08-1872) 
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 Salud, Dirección de Registros y Controles   (Ministry of 
Health, Registration and Control Directorate)  
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):  International Classification fo r Standards (ICS) code 67.050  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:   
 Trading partners  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  RTCA 67.04.50:08, 
Alimentos. Criterios microbiológicos para la inocuidad de los alimentos  (Central American 
Technical Regulation (RTCA) No. 67.04.50:08:   Food products.  Microbiological criteria 
for food safety) (34 pages, in Spanish). 
Text available at:  http://www.protecnet.go.cr
 
 http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2008/sps/CRI/08_1142_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The notified Regulation seeks to establish the microbiological 
parameters and permissible limits for the re gistration and sanitary surveillance of food 
products.  The provisions of this Regulation a pply to all food products marketed in Central 
American countries.  
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. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [ X ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:     
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   
• Decree No. 977/96, Official Journal of 13 May 1997:  Reglamento 
Sanitario de los Alimentos  (Food Health Regulations), Chilean Ministry of 
Health; G/SPS/N/CRI/61 
Page 2  
 
  • Argentine Regulation, Section V:  De los criterios microbiológicos  
(Microbiological criteria); 
 
• CAC/GL 21-1997:  Principles for the Establishment and Application of 
Microbiological Criteria for Foods; 
 
• CAC/STAN 192-1995, Rev. 5 (2004):  
General Standard for Food Additives.  
Appendix B to CAC/MISC 6-2001:  List  of Codex Advisory Specifications 
for Food Additives; 
 
• International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods 
(ICMSF).  Micro-Organisms in Foods 2:  Sampling for Microbiological Analysis:  Principles and Specific Applications.  Second Edition; 
 
• MERCOSUR Technical Regulation (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, 
Peru, Venezuela); 
 
• Normas Microbiológicas por Alimentos de España (Spanish 
microbiological standards for food).  Grupo de alimentos de la Sociedad 
Española de Microbiología  (Working Group on Food of the Spanish 
Microbiological Society). 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Upon publication in the Official Journal  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
12. Final date for comments:  3 June 2008  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification 
authority, [    ] National enquiry point, or add ress, 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 
Centro de Información y Notificación en  Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias 
Apartado Postal 70-3006 Barreal de Heredia 
Costa Rica 
Tel.:  +(506) 2260-8300, ext. 2065 Fax: +(506) 2262-7831 E-mail: notificaciones@protecnet.go.cr Web site: http://www.protecnet.go.cr