. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/NLD/56
10 January 2003
(03-0129)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE NETHERLANDS
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports.
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   National Enquiry
Point – EC WTO TBT Enquiry Point
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):   Yellow fat coatings
enriched with vitamin D. Yellow fat coatings shall be defined as the products as referred to
in the Annexe to Regulation (EC) No 2991/94 of the Council of the European Union of
5 December 1994 laying down standards for spreadable fats (OJ L 316), under B and C.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Regulation by the
Minister for Public Health, Welfare and Sport of date X, containing the Commodities Act
Regulation exemption of vitamin D.
6. Description of content:   This Regulation aims to permit the introduction onto the market of
yellow fat coatings with an increased content of vitamin D intended for consumption by
persons of 60 years of age and older insofar as this content is a minimum of 20 µg and not
exceeding 25 µg per gram.  This is why this Regulation grants exemption from Article 5a of
the Commodities Act Decree on the addition of micro-nutrients to foodstuffs, in which it is
laid down that yellow fat coatings may contain a maximum of 0.075 µg per gram of vitamin
D. In order to prevent harmful effects on the health of the consumer, this Regulationstipulates that the acceptable upper limit for intake should not be exceeded.
The product to be sold needs to be accompanied by a designation showing that the product
is intended for people of 60 years of age and older, and consequently is not suitable for
people under 60 years of age.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:   In
its most recent advice, dated 12 July 2000, th e Health Council increased the recommended
daily intake of vitamin D for the elderly. Calcium and vitamin D are important for bonequality. Since fats are considered to be good carriers of vitamin D due to their broad
application, and in addition as research has shown that it is difficult for over 60s to meet the
recommended daily intake through consumption of ordinary food, this draft also contains a
lower limit.G/TBT/N/NLD/56
Page 2
8. Relevant documents:   Commodities Act Decree on the addition of micro-nutrients to
foodstuffs (Bulletin of Acts and Decrees 1996, 311, as most recently amended by Decree of
22 September 1999, Bulletin of Acts and Decrees 428).
9. Proposed date of adoption:  5 November 2002
Proposed date of entry into force:  15 January 2003
10. Final date for comments:   14 January 2003
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:           