. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/144
17 December 2002
(02-6950)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   AUSTRALIA
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Food Standards Austra lia New Zealand (FSANZ)
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):   Processed Foods – Raw Milk Very Hard Cooked-Curd Cheeses
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
All Countries.  Imported (as well as domestica lly produced) foods sold in Australia & New
Zealand.
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Final Assessment
Report for Proposal P263 – Safety Assessment of Raw Milk Very Hard Cooked-Curd
Cheeses (Available in English, 64 pages)
6. Description of content:   Proposal P263  was developed in order to assess the safety of very
hard cheeses (<36% moisture) made from raw milk such as; Parmigiano, Reggiano and
Grana Padano, and to determine whether an amendment to the Australia New Zealand
Food Standards Code (Vol II) should be made in order to permit the continued sale of thesecheeses.
7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or di sease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection 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:  Australia New
Zealand Food Standards Code , Standard 1.5.2. and New Zealand Food Regulations 1984
(both in English).
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Adoption to follow  pending Government approval.
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   Date of entry after Government approval.G/SPS/N/AUS/144
Page 2
12. Final date for comments:   19 December 2002
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:
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
PO Box 7186
Canberra BC   ACT   2610
Australia
Fax: + 61 2 6271 2278
E-mail:  info@foodstandards.gov.au
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority,  [   ]  National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Documents are also available from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website
(www.foodstandards.gov.au ).
Copies available from:
The Australian SPS Notification Point
PO Box 858
Canberra CityACT 2601
Australia
Fax: (+61) 2 6272 3678
Email: sps.contact@affa.gov.au