WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/208
1 November 2000
(00-4578)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
REQUEST FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Submission by Jordan
Within the context of Jordan's fulfilling its obligations to the WTO in relation to Jordan's
commitments under the SPS Agreement, efficient implementation of the Agreement is essential.
Consequently, sufficient and high standard laboratory  analysis need to be made available in order to
ensure the imported and exported food stuff are safe and healthy and of high quality.
In view of the MOH responsib ilities for the quality and safety of foods under the SPS
Agreement, a recent assessment review was made of the Ministry of Health Food Testing Laboratory
in Aqaba by a consultant for the Amir programme.  AMIR is a USAID-funded activity to, among
other things, assist Jordan in meeting the requir ements of the WTO with special emphasis on the SPS
Agreement.  The purpose of the review was to evaluate the present analytical capabilities of the
laboratory and to identify and recommend possible improvements as well as new or expandedanalytical work.
Therefore, technical assistance is needed in the following areas under the operation of the
Ministry of Health:
- Instruments:  analytical measuring devices
- Equipment:  processing devices
Instruments and Equipment Priorities for Purchase
Introduction
The Port of Aqaba on the Red Sea is the only direct access that Jordan has to foods and other
international goods that are transported by ship.  The Port is essentially the centre of world trade for
Jordan and is therefore of prime importance to the Jordan national economy.  The majority of import
foods to Jordan arrive through the port of Aqaba.  The Aqaba Ministry of Health (MOH) Laboratory
is almost exclusively devoted to testing foods imported through the Port.
Background
Jordan became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in April 2000.
Membership includes acceptance to abide by the requirements of the WTO Agreements on Sanitaryand Phytosanitary (SPS) measures as well as Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).  Article 7 of the draft
Jordanian Law of Agriculture For The Year 2000 lists the objectives of the SPS measures to be taken
by the government under the WTO SPS Agreement.  Included is the protection of human and animal
health from risks resulting from additives, contaminants, toxins or disease-causing organisms in
agricultural products (human foods or animal feeds).  In Jordan, the MOH has the statutory
responsibility for ensuring the quality and safety of food and is therefore the lead agency in enforcing
that specific SPS measure as it relates to human food.G/SPS/GEN/208
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At the present time, the MOH laboratories in Aqaba and Amman do all import and domestic
food quality and safety examinations except for pesticide residues.  They do not have the capability to
examine for such residues and therefore refer those samples to the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA)
Pesticide Residue Laboratory in Al-Baqa, outside of Amman.
In view of the MOH responsib ilities for the quality and safety of foods under the SPS
Agreement, a recent assessment review was made of the MOH Food Testing Laboratory in Aqaba by
a consultant for the AMIR programme.  AMIR is a USAID-funded activity to, among other things,
assist Jordan in meeting the requirements of th e WTO with special emphasis on the SPS Agreement.
The purpose of the review was to evaluate the present analytical capabilities of the Laboratory and to
identify and recommend possible improvements as well as new or expanded analytical work.
Needed instruments and equipment
A number of the review recommendations concerned instruments and equipment needed for
improvement and necessary expansion of work.  (In this context the term 'instruments' refers toanalytical measuring devices such as chromatographs, balances, etc. and the term 'equipment' refers to
processing devices such as ovens, blenders, etc.).
The following is a prioritized listing of both instruments and equipment that are
recommended for purchase for the MOH Aqaba Food Testing Laboratory, with a brief reason givenfor each.  Items of equipment that are replacements for existing non-operational devices are so noted.
The recommended instruments and equipment can be used within the existing facility and with the
present staff.  It will be, however, necessary to provide training for the staff in the theory and
operation of the more sophisticated instruments.  Those will be identified with an asterisk (*).
Instruments
1. A high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC)(*) with gradient elution capability and
with a fluorescence detector.  Purchase should include an assortment of columns and a
recording device, as well as filtering and degassing equipment for the solvents used.  (For the
determination of aflatoxins residues).
2. A second HPLC as above (*) except with a UV/visible variable wavelength detector.  (To be
used for various food and colour additives).
3. A gas chromatograph (GC) (*) with a flame ionization detector and a recording device.  This
should include columns, syringes etc.  (Permits rapid analysis of many additives and somefood contaminants).
4. A can seam saw and a can seam examination device for measuring tightness of can seams.
No training course would be needed as an analyst in the laboratory is familiar with the device
and could train the others.  (Can seams with microleaks can be a problem especially fromexporting countries with poor seaming equipment).
5. Two analytical balances sensitive to 0.1 mg.  (These are not presently available and are
necessary for accurate weighing of standards and  other materials).
6. Four top-loading electronic balances.  (For routine sample weights and other work).G/SPS/GEN/208
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Equipment
1. A bench-top laminar-flow hood for installation in the Microbiology Laboratory.  (This will
provide a needed sterile work area in which to streak plates or make culture transfers).
2. A graphite furnace for the existing atomic absorption spectrometer.  (To replace the present
non-functioning unit).  This should include a new water-cooling pump.
3. A muffle furnace.  (For dry-ashing of metals residue samples and to replace the present non-
functional unit).
4. A second bench-top laminar-flow hood for the Meat and Fish Laboratory.  (For their
microbiological examinations).
5. A high-speed centrifugal homogenizer such as that manufactured by Reisch GmbH of
Germany.  (For processing high oil content foods such as sesame seed, for aflatoxin analysis).
6. A vacuum oven.  (For moisture determinations and to replace the present non-functional unit).
7. A reverse-osmosis water purification unit.  (For routine pure water needs).8. Two blenders with cups.  (For sample preparation).
Item  No. Equipment Quantity Price (JD)*
1 HPLC 2 120,000
2 Gas chromatograph 2 40,000
3 Atomic absorption 1 60,000
4 Rotary evaporator 6 15,000
5 Moisture determination balance 4 10,000
6 High speed centrifuge homogenizer 4 30,000
7 Vacuum oven 2 2,000
8 Biological safety cabinet 4 40,000
9 Laminar flow hood 3 20,000
10 Muffle furnace 4 5,000
11 Analytical balance 6 12,000
12 Top loading balance 6 6,000
13 Food cutting device 4 2,500
14 Food chopping device 4 400
15 Cutting mill 4 36,000
16 Steam bath for solvent concentration 2 1,400
17 Hot air oven 20 20,000
18 Incubator 10 10,000
19 PH 6 2,000
20 Water bath 8 6,000
21 Vacuum pump 10 10,000
22 Hot plate 10 5,000
23 Blender (mixer) 10 2,000
24 U.V. cabinate 4 2,000
25 Trip balance 2 300
26 Can opener 6 1,500
27 Shaker Vortex 5 75G/SPS/GEN/208
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Item  No. Equipment Quantity Price (JD)*
28 Spectorophotometer 2 40,000
29 Anaerobic jars (stainless steel) 6 2,000
30 Rotary shaker unit with
(a)  shaker heads for test tube
(b)  shaker heads for flasks or bottles4
4
42,000
1,000
1,000
31 Kjeldahl unit 2 3,000
32 Sox Helet (fat determination) unit
Extraction unit2 3,000
33 Stomacher 3 5,000
34 Fume hood 3 9,000
35 Radiation apparatus 2 4,000
36 Stereoscopic microscope 4 3,000
37 Binocular microscope 2 2,000
38 Colony counter (electronic) 2 3,000
39 Mercury analyser 2 10,000
40 Fibre determination unit 2 3,000
41 Refrigerators 10 5,000
42 Deep freezer 10 13,000
43 Autoclaves 4 4,000
44 Microwave oven 2 2,000
45 Refracto meter 2 2,000
46 Calibraton weights 4 3,000
47 Electronic digital stop-watches 2 2,000
48 Stainless steel racks 16 200
*1JD = US$1.41
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