 
. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CHE/39 
27 September 2004 
 (04-4059) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   SWITZERLAND
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Federal Office of Public Health, Berne. 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Spirit drinks: Absinthe food additives. 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable:  
Countries exporting the produc t concerned to Switzerland  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Draft Modification to the 
Ordinance on Additives Authorized for Foodstu ffs (Additive Ordinanc e)  (Available in 
German;  4 pages). 
6. Description of content:  Prohibition to use colorants as food additives for "Absinthe". 
7. 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 
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection 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: 
- Ordinance on Additives Authorized for F oodstuffs (German/French/Italian:  RS 
817.021.22) 
 http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/c817_021_22.html  
- Food Law of 9 October 1992 (Ger man/French/Italian: RS 817.0) 
 http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/c817_0.html  
- Food Ordinance of 1 March 1995 (Ger man/French/Italian: RS 817.02) 
 http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/c817_02.html  
10. Proposed date of adoption:   January 2005. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   01 February 2005 G/SPS/N/CHE/39 
Page 2  
 
 12. Final date for comments:  26 November 2004 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   sps@seco.admin.ch
 
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notificati on authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  switec@snv.ch  
 
 