WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.99.249
21 May 1999
(99-2074)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  SWITZERLAND
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:  Federal Office of Public Health
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Foodstuffs, cosmetics
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Modification of the
Ordinance on Hygienic and Microbiological Requirements of Foodstuffs, Commodities,
Facilities, Installations and Personnel
6. Description of content:  Abolition of several limit and tolerance values for microbiological
organisms.  Precision of the text of some dispositions.  The modifications are scheduled to
come into force on 1 August 1999
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  Several
limit and tolerance values actually in force are not needed any longer and can be abolished.
The texts of some dispositions of the ordinance have caused interpretation problems in
practice and have to be precised.
8. Relevant documents:  The Ordinance on hygienic and microbiological Requirements of
Foodstuffs, Commodities, Facilities, Installations and Personnel is based on the Food Law
of 9 October 1992 and the Food Ordinance of 1 March 1995
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: } 1 August 1999
10. Final date for comments:  9 July 1999
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, e-mail and telefax number of
the other body:           