WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/CHE/19
26 May 1999
(99-2116)
Committee on Sanitary and 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
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Foodstuffs, cosmetics.
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Modification on the Ordinance on
hygienic and microbiological Requirements of Foodstuffs, Commodities, Facilities,
Installations and Personnel.
5. 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.
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:  The Ordinance on
hygienic and microbiological Requirements of Foodstuffs, Commodities, Facilities,Installations and Personnel is based on the Food Law of October 9
th 1992 and the Food
Ordinance of March 1st 1995.
9. Proposed date of adoption:  July 1999.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  1 August 1999.
11. Final date for comments:  24 July 1999
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [  X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:           