. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/95
19 September 2000
(00-3694)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission, General Directorate for Health and Consumer
Protection
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, whereapplicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Following species of spices: Capsicum spp. (dried fruits thereof, whole or
ground, including chillies, chilli powder, cayenne and paprika), Piper spp. (fruits thereof,
including white and black pepper), Myristica fragrans  (nutmeg), Zingiber officinale
(ginger), Curcuma longa (turmeric)
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Draft Commission Regulation
amending Commission Regulation (EC) N° 194/97 of 31 January 1997 setting maximum
levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs (4 pages)
5. Description of content: The draft Commission Regulation establishes maximum limits for
aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin total in some species of spices .
A limit of 5 µg/kg Aflatoxin  B1 and  of 10 µg/kg Aflatoxin total (B1 + B2 + G1 + G2) is
fixed for the following species of spices:
− Capsicum spp. (dried fruits thereof, whole or ground, including chillies, chilli
powder, cayenne and paprika)
− Piper spp. (fruits thereof, including white and black pepper)
− Myristica fragrans  (nutmeg)
− Zingiber officinale  (ginger)
− Curcuma longa  (turmeric)
6. 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   
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  European
Commission Document SANCO/334 /99 – Rev.2 (Available in all official EC languages)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  November 2000
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  1 January 2001G/SPS/N/EEC/95
Page 2
11. Final date for comments:  15 October 2000
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [  X ] EC enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
12. Texts available from: [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] EC enquiry point or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: