. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/NOR/14 
6 October 2005 
 (05-4486) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  NORWAY
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  The Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food; the Norwegian 
Ministry of Health and Care services and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. 
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):  Liver and kidneys from bovines and ovines with high content of cadmium 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
trading partners.  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   
Regulation 25 April 2005 no. 361 concerning the prohibition of liver and kidneys from 
bovines and ovines with high content of cadmium (Available in Norwegian). 
6. Description of content:  The regulation prohibits placing on the market liver and kidneys 
from bovines and ovines with a high content of cad mium.  These stocks have been fed with 
contaminated feed containing high content of  cadmium.  If the business operators wish to 
place these products on the market they have to document a conformity with the levels 
settled for cadmium in liver and kidneys  in Regulation (EC) no. 466/2001. 
The prohibition applies if the business operators can not document this conformity with the 
EC legislation. 
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  
The aim is protection of food safety.  This situa tion is urgent and demands urgent action.  It 
is therefore necessary to bring this regulation into force immediately. 
Import of cadmium contaminated zinc sulphate  for use in feedingstuffs has led to high 
levels of cadmium in liver and kidneys from bovine animals and sheep.  31 targeted samples 
of bovine liver showed five samples exceedi ng the maximum limit for cadmium in liver 
(Commission Regulation (EC) 466/2001).  18 targeted samples of kidneys showed seven 
samples exceeding the maximum limit for cadmium in kidney (Commission Regulation 
(EC) 466/2001). 
However, much is still unclear as to where and how the contaminated feedingstuffs is 
distributed.  In order to protect public health , all liver and kidneys from bovine animals and 
sheep are banned from the market, unless low levels and/or use of only non-contaminated 
feedingstuffs can be documented.  G/SPS/N/NOR/14 
Page 2  
 
 8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reasons for urgent action:  Cadmium is a toxic 
metal and may accumulate in the human body.  It may induce kidney dysfunction, skeletal 
damage and reproductive deficiencies.  Therefor e, maximum levels for cadmium have been 
set as low as reasonably achievable (Commi ssion Regulation (EC) 466/2001).  Products 
placed on the market shall not exceed the maximum levels set.  In order to protect public 
health and to comply with the current legisl ation, products as mentioned in (7) have been 
banned from the market. 
9. 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:   
The application prohibits liver and kidneys w ith high levels of cadmium.  The Regulation 
(EC) no. 466/2001 settles maximum residue limits for cadmium in liver and kidneys from bovine and ovine.  The forbidden products are illegal in accordance with this regulation, but 
Norway considers it necessary to establis h a separate regulation which points out 
specifically a prohibition.  This will also make  the control of this area more effective. 
10. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Regulation (EC) 
no. 466/2001 
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  25 April 2005 
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority,  [   ] National enquiry point,  or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority 
P.O. Box 383 2381 Brumunddal Norway Fax:  +47 23 21 68 01 
E-mail:  postmottak@mattilsynet.no 
13. Texts available from:  [    ] National notification authority, [    ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:   
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority 
P.O. Box 383 2381 Brumunddal Norway 
Fax:  +47 23 21 68 01 
E-mail:  postmottak@mattilsynet.no