. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/ZAF/17
20 May 2003
(03-2696)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   SOUTH AFRICA
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Department of Health
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):   Foodstuffs containing metals as stipulated
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:   Any
country importing food products into South Africa
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Regulation Relating to
Maximum Levels for Metals in Foodstuff s:  Amendment (Government Notice R.358).
(3 pages, available in English)
6. Description of content:   Regulates the maximum limits for certain metals in specific
foodstuffs
7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety, [ X ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or di sease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:   Codex standards/ guidelines:
CS 19-1981(rev.1999), CS 161-1989, CS 87-1981, CS 108-1981(rev. 2001), CAC/GL
39-2001, CS 164–1989, CS 230-2001, CAC/GL 7-1991
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:   Government Gazette
No. 25015 dated 14 March 2003 (available in English).
10. Proposed date of adoption:   When the final amendments to the regulations are published
in the Government Gazette.  This is not expected before November 2003.
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   On publication of the final regulations as published in
the Government Gazette.G/SPS/N/ZAF/17
Page 2
12. Final date for comments:  14 August 2003
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 :
Directorate:  Food Control
Department of Health
Private Bag X828
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Tel: +27-12-3120167
Fax: +27-12-3264374
E-mail:  carolv@health.gov.za
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority,  [ X ]  National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Ms V Carolissen-Mackay, Directorate: Food Contro l (details as above) or available on the
website at www.doh.gov.za/department/dir_foodcontri-f.html