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Thailand Proposes New Standards Applicable to Food Packaging

May 20, 2009

Thailand has notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of a series of national standards pertaining to food-contact materials and articles. Specifically, the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) proposes to replace existing Thai Industrial Standards (TIS) with the following mandatory standards:

Draft TIS 653-25XX "Plastics Containers and Packaging Films for Milk and Milk Products" (covering plastics containers and single-use packaging films and replacing TIS 653-2529(1986));
Draft TIS 654-25XX "Plastic Container and Packaging Films for Edible Oils, Fats and Fat Products" (covering plastics containers and single-use packaging films and replacing TIS 654-2536(1993));
Draft TIS 998-25XX "Plastic Containers for Drinking Water" (covering only new plastic containers and replacing TIS 998-2533(1990));
Draft TIS 1027-25XX "Plastic Bags for Food" (covering only plastic bags made from pure resin and replacing TIS 1027-2534(1991));
Draft TIS 1002-25XX "Plastics Canteen" (covering plastic canteens with caps or stoppers made from new plastic and replacing TIS 1002-2533(1990));
Draft TIS 776-25XX "Plastic Straws for Food" (covering plastic straws made from pure resin and replacing TIS 776-2531(1988));
Draft TIS 655 Part 1-25XX "Plastic Utensils for Food Part 1: Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate), Poly(Vinyl Alcohol), and Poly(Methyl Pentene)" (replacing TIS 655-2529(1986));
Draft TIS 655 Part 2-25XX "Plastic Utensils for Food Part 2: Poly(Vinyl Chloride), Polycarbonate, Polyamide, and Poly(Methyl Methacrylate)" (replacing TIS 655-2529(1986)); and
Draft TIS 997-25XX "Plastic Containers for Organic Acidulous Liquid Food" (replacing TIS 997-2533(1990)).

The proposals were open to comment through May16th. In addition, TISI proposes to enforce the following as mandatory standards:

Draft TIS XXXX-25XX "Plastic Sacks for Packaging of Foodstuffs" (covering only plastic sacks made from polyolefin, flat and gussetted, capacity up to 50 kg);
Draft TIS XXX-25XX "Plastic Film for Drinking Water and Beverage" (covering only polyethylene and polypropylene films made from pure resin);
Draft TIS XXXX-25XX "Plastic Film for Organic Acidulous Liquid Food" (covering only polyethylene, polypropylene, and poly(ethylene terephthalate) films made from pure resin); and
Draft TIS XXXX-25XX "Plastics Food Containers for Microwave Oven Part 1: For Reheating."

Thailand also notified the WTO that it proposes to enforce as a mandatory standard the Draft Thai Industrial Standard 655 Part 3-25XX "Plastic utensils for food Part 3: Acrylonitrile – Butadiene – Styrene and Acrylonitrile – Styrene." Comments on this proposed action will be accepted through the end of June.