The WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement aims to protect human, animal and plant life from risks arising from additives, contaminants, toxins, or disease-causing organisms in their food. It recognizes standards set by Codex, OIE and IPPC to harmonize SPS measures between countries. The SPS Agreement requires that measures be based on scientific principles and risk assessment, be non-discriminatory, and be no more trade-restrictive than necessary to protect health. Problems in implementing the SPS Agreement include non-compliance with international standards and lack of notification, awareness, and development in some areas.

1. SANITARY AND
PHYTOSANITARY
MEASURES
By:
Suganeswaran.S
1st Msc Food Science
Technology And Nutrition

2. A measure taken to protect:
DEFINITION
Human or risks arising from additives,
Animal health contaminants, toxins or disease
organism in food, drink, feedstuff.
Human plant or animal carried disease.
life
Animal or pests, diseases, disease-causing organism.
plant life
A country other damage caused by entry, establishment or
spread of pests.
FROM
FROM
FROM
FROM

3. The SPS agreement is most beneficiaries to the following :
 The consumer, the safety and healthy products to the consumer.
 The exporters of agriculture products, the export of safe and hygiene
products to other countries.
 The importers of food & other agricultural products, the imports of good
quality and safe goods to the country.
BENEFICTS OF SPS

4. The SPS agreement helps:
 To ensure that consumers are being supplied with safe food to eat – “safe”
by the appropriate standards.
 To deliver greater choice of safe foods for consumers on the market.
 To support international competition among producers regarding safer and
healthier food production.
 To increase the amount of available information for consumers as a result
of greater transparency in government procedures.
 To increase the amount of available information of imports and to eliminate
unjustified border measures.
 To eliminate the unnecessary and unjustified trade barriers.
WHAT IT DOES??

5. The codex standards, guidelines and recommendations relating to :
 Food additives
 Veterinary drugs and pesticide residues
 Contaminants
 Methods of analysis and sampling
 Codes of guidelines
SPS AGREEMENT RECOGNIZES

6.  Inspection of products for microbiological contamination.
 Fumigation treatments for products
 Maximum residue limits for pesticide residues in foods
EXAMPLES OF SPS MEASURES

7. TYPES OF MEASURES
TYPES OF
MEASURES
End
product
criteria
Inspecti
on
Sampling
&
Testing
Certificat
ions
Health-
related
labeling
Processing
requireme
nts
Risk
assessme
nt
methods
Quaranti
ne
measure
s

8. KEY
PROVISIONS
Non-
discrimination
Scientific
justification
Harmonization
Risk
assessment
Consistency
Equivalence Transparency
Technical
assistance
KEY PROVISIONS OF THE SPS AGREEMENT

9. Harmonization means :
 Establishment
 Recognition and
 Application
HARMONIZATION
of Common SPS
measures by
different
countries

10. Standard- setting
organizations
Food safety
(CODEX)
Animal health
OIEO (zoonosis)
Plant health
(IPPC)
SCIENTIFIC JUSTIFICATION
Codex- Join FAO / WHO codex aliments commission
OIE – World organization for animal health
IPPC – international plant protection convention (FAO)
 THREE organization responsible for harmonization & standard setting.

11.  The evaluation of the :
RISK ASSESSMENT
Likelihood of entry, establishment or spread of a pest or disease
within the territory of an importing company according to association
with potential biological or economic consequences.
Potential for adverse effects on human or animal health arising from
the presence of additives, contaminants, toxins or disease-causing
organisms feedstuffs.

12.  Non representatives of international standards.
 Absence of national notification system.
 A general lack of awareness.
 Some aspects not very well develop- traceability, risk assessment, R&D,
residues, data
PROBLEMS IN IMPLEMENTATION

13. 1. Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
2. Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
(SPS)
3. The WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement -
Environment.gov.au
REFERENCE