. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/NLD/40
11 February 1999
(99-0533)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  THE NETHERLANDS
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports
3. Products covered (tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules deposited
with the WTO.  ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Table
salt, bread salt, salt substitutes and bread substitutes
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:   Draft decree amending the
Commodities Act Decree on the addition of micro-nutrients to foodstuffs
5. Description of content:   This draft decree extends the scope for adding iodine to
foodstuffs.  Apart from table salt for direct human consumption, which is used
internationally as a carrier for iodine, iodine can now also be added to salt substitutes.  The
quantity of iodine in bread is increased, whilst iodine can continue to be added to breadsubstitutes.
6. Objective and rationale:  For a long time, the Dutch Government has adopted a policy
aimed at the adequate provision of iodine with a view to preventing goitre.  Since 1942,
bread salt and, later, table salt have been used  as carriers for iodine.  The Food Council has
established that the provision of iodine to young women especially, is not optimal in the
Netherlands.  This is why a study has been carried out as to how the intake of iodine by the
Dutch population can be improved to reach optimum levels.  In this respect, consideration
should be given to the safe daily intake level for iodine of 1,000 microgrammes.  It has
transpired that the steepest increase in the average iodine intake and the steepest decline inthe prevalence of intakes less than 100 microgrammes of iodine per day, whereby the safe
level of intake is not exceeded, occurs when bread and bread substitutes with salt are
enriched with 75 mg iodine and meat products with 25 mg iodine per kg of table salt.  The
current scope for adding iodine to foodstuffs must, therefore, be extended.
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [ X ].
If an international standard, guideline or  recommendation exists, whenever possible,
identify deviations:   -
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Article10,
paragraph 1, of the Commodities Act decree on the preparation and treatment of foodstuffs,as well as the Commodities Act decree on the addition of micro-nutrients to foodstuffs.G/SPS/N/NLD/40
Page 2
9. Proposed date of adoption:  31 March 1999
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  31 March 1999
11. Final date for comments:  30 March 1999
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:   National Contact point – EC SPS
Enquiry point
12. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telefax number and
E-mail address (if available) of other body:            