. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/USA/34
13 March 2003
(03-1444)
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:   UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Food and Drug Administration (34)
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:           
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):   Sodium Labelling
(HS Chapter 3, 4, 10, 16-20) (ICS 67)
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Food Labelling;
Nutrient Content Claims, Definition of Sodium Levels for the Term "Healthy" (17 pages, in
English)
6. Description of content:   The Food and Drug Administrati on (FDA) is proposing to amend
the regulation for sodium levels for foods th at use the nutrient content claim "healthy".
FDA is proposing that a previously established, but not yet implemented, more restrictive,second-tier sodium level would be permitted to take effect as a criterion that individual
foods must meet to qualify to bear the term "healthy". FDA is proposing to retain the
current first-tier sodium level for meal and main dish products because implementing the
second-tier sodium level could result in the substantial elimination of meal and main dish
products bearing the claim "healthy" from the marketplace.  FDA believes that the proposed
sodium levels will help consumers achieve a total diet that is consistent with current dietary
recommendations, as the proposed levels will give consumers a reasonable number of"healthy" products from which to choose. FDA has also revised the regulatory text for the
definition of "healthy" to clarify the scope of the regulation and conform to the Presidential
Memorandum instructing Federal agencies to use plain language.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
Sodium content of "healthy" food products.
8. Relevant documents:   68 Federal Register (FR) 8163, 20 February 2003;  Title 21 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 101.  Will appear in the Federal Register when adopted.
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }To be determined.G/TBT/N/USA/34
Page 2
10. Final date for comments:   6 May 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:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
Complete text can also be found on the internet at:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cd rh/cfdocs/cfxcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=101.65 and
at:  http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/03-4100.htm