Notifications for Switzerland (48 notifications)

The maximum limits for vitamins and minerals permitted in fortified food and food supplements are adjusted to bring them in line with the tolerable upper intake level (UL). Basis for the calculation were national food consumption data, data from EFSA, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Medicine (ex IOM) and WHO.The new approach takes into count the overall consumption of vitamins and minerals by fortified food and food supplements.

The maximum limits for vitamins and minerals permitted in fortified food, food supplements and food for sports persons are adjusted to bring them in line with the tolerable upper intake level (UL). Basis for the calculation are national food consumption data, data from EFSA, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Medicine (ex IMO) and WHO.The new approach takes into account the overall consumption of vitamins and minerals by fortified food and food supplements.  Furthermore DMAA and DNP were explicitly forbidden.

A maximum limit for perchlorate in water (drinking water) is established. It is set at 4 µg/l. Reason for this is health protection of consumers.

GMO that have been tested and permitted in the EU for food, shall be tolerated in Switzerland as traces in an amount of up to 0.5% m/m.The Swiss system allows for food that is considered not to contain GMO, a contamination of up to to 0.5% m/m of 5 GMOs (Mais NK603, Mais GA21, Mais 1507, Mais 59122 and Soja MON89788). Food containing traces of other GMO than the ones listed above is to be destroyed. The new ruling allows traces of GMO that are permitted in the EU under regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 as food. These GMO are tolerated as traces in an amount of up to 0.5% m/m in food in Switzerland. Notwithstanding the above, all measures possible have to be taken to avoid cross contamination of non-GMO food with GMO.  Different authorisation procedures for food or ingredients using GMOs apply in the EU and Switzerland. As these products were produced from a GMO, then separated, concentrated and chemically defined, they are no longer considered as GMO. The authorisation procedure for these substances will be a novel food authorisation, in line with the EU approach.

To set the Swiss regulation in accordance with the relevant European regulation (DIRECTIVE 2012/12/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 19 April 2012 amending Council Directive 2001/112/EC relating to fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption) the provisions on orange juice were modified. This modification results in a deviation to the Codex Alimentarius "General Standard for Fruit Juices and Nectars" (CODEX STAN 247-2005 chap. 3.1.2, letter e) which allows juice of Citrus reticulata and/or Hybrides with reticulata to be present in orange juice up to 10% m/m of soluble dry matter. The list of permitted substances for the treatment of fruit juices is amended with pea proteins, which are already allowed for wine. There are no scientific or other reasons not to allow these proteins in fruit juices. This is in derogation to the directive 2012/12/EU.

The legal basis is created for a prohibition on the importation into Switzerland of species of fauna and flora the specimens of which can be easily confused with species listed in Appendices I to III to the CITES Convention, and which are protected domestically in another country and are shown to be threatened. This measure aims to keep those species of fauna and flora from entering international trade via Switzerland.

The notified text contains the following lists: - particularly dangerous pests within the meaning of Article 4 of the Ordinance of 31 October 2018 on the protection of plants against particularly dangerous pests; - protected zones and the relevant protected-zone quarantine pests within the meaning of Article 24 of the Ordinance of 31 October 2018 on the protection of plants against particularly dangerous pests; - specific plants for planting, pests considered as regulated non-quarantine pests and the relevant thresholds within the meaning of Article 29 of the Ordinance of 31 October 2018 on the protection of plants against particularly dangerous pests; - measures aimed at preventing the appearance of regulated non-quarantine pests on specific plants for planting; - goods for which importation from third countries is prohibited; - goods for which importation from third countries requires them to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate, and the specific conditions to be met by such goods; - goods for which importation from the EU is authorized only if the goods are accompanied by a phytosanitary passport; - goods for which transfer and release in a protected zone are prohibited or authorized only under certain conditions; - the specific conditions to be met by goods in order to obtain a phytosanitary passport; - the plant types and varieties to which the exception concerning the phytosanitary passport traceability code does not apply within the meaning of Article 75 of the Ordinance of 31 October 2018 on the protection of plants against particularly dangerous pests; - phytosanitary passport models.

This notification concerns a package comprising several legislative acts that are final and have already entered into force in the framework of Switzerland's new food legislation (notified as WTO document G/TBT/N/CHE/202 of 3 September 2015). For reasons of transparency and in accordance with the recommendations of the WTO Committees, this legislation is notified in its entirety. The new Swiss food legislation entered into force on 1 May 2017. It comprises four Federal Council ordinances, 23 ordinances from the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA), and three ordinances from the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO). Until now, only foods that were expressly specified in the ordinances were authorized. All other foods were only allowed to enter the market subject to authorization. In contrast, under the revised legislation all that is required for foods to be placed on the market is that they be safe and that they meet the legal requirements. Indeed, these conditions guarantee health protection and protection against deception.