Skip to content
Expodite

WTO notification · SPS

SwitzerlandCorrected since it was notified

Food – Switzerland

Ordinance on additives (Ordonnance du DFI sur les additifs admis dans les denrées alimentaires / Verordnung des EDI über die zulässigen Zusatzstoffe in Lebensmitteln)

View original

Ordinance on additives (F: Ordonnance du DFI sur les additifs admis dans les denrées alimentaires / D: Verordnung des EDI über die zulässigen Zusatzstoffe in Lebensmitteln)

Switzerland issued a correction on 9 September 2026 to the earlier SPS notification G/SPS/N/CHE/85. The measure was first notified on 20 January 2022. The comment period closed on 1 August 2026.

Get alerts for this product and marketCheck what this means for your products

Expodite puts notifications like this one in your Updates centre, matched to the HS codes of your products and the markets you export to. Opens the requirements check for Switzerland in your Expodite account.

Source: WTO ePing (opens in a new tab). Summaries by Expodite, which is independent of the WTO.

Published here:

Updated here:

At a glance

Products

Food products

Notifying member
Switzerland
Status
Corrected since it was notified
Objectives
  • Food safety
Area
SPS: Food safety, animal and plant healthSanitary and phytosanitary measures
Notification type
Regular notification
Document symbol
G/SPS/N/CHE/85Latest notice: G/SPS/N/CHE/85/Add.1/Corr.1
Keywords
Food safety, Food additives, Human health

Key dates

Distributed by the WTO
Comment deadline
Closed on 1 August 2026
Proposed adoption
Proposed entry into force

How to comment

The comment period closed on 1 August 2026. You can still raise concerns about the measure with your country's WTO SPS enquiry point, quoting the document symbol G/SPS/N/CHE/85/Add.1/Corr.1; it can take them up with Switzerland.

Find your country's enquiry point on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)

What the notification says

The text removes the authorization to use titanium dioxide (E 171) in foods based on the recent scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluding that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered as safe when used as a food additive. In order to allow for a smooth transition, the text lays down that foods that contain titanium dioxide (E 171) used in accordance with the rules applicable before the date of entry into force of the ordinance may be placed on the market until six months after that date. Those foods may then continue to be marketed until their date of minimum durability or 'use by' date.

Notices on this measure

Every notice about this measure published here, newest first. Each one is the notifying member's own text.

  1. CorrigendumG/SPS/N/CHE/85/Add.1/Corr.1

    Ordinance on additives in food stuff

    In document G/SPS/N/CHE/85/Add.1, circulated on 3 July 2026, the paragraph concerning titanium dioxide (E 171) was included inadvertently and should be disregarded. The references to titanium dioxide (E 171) were carried over in error from the original notification G/SPS/N/CHE/85. No changes relating to titanium dioxide (E 171) were introduced by the amendment notified in G/SPS/N/CHE/85/Add.1. The notified amendment concerns only the updating of provisions on permitted additives in various food categories and on carrier substances.

    Open on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)Official WTO document (opens in a new tab)

  2. AddendumG/SPS/N/CHE/85/Add.1

    Comment deadline: Closed on 1 August 2026

    Ordinance on additives in food stuff

    Updating of the provisions on permitted additives in the various food categories, as well as on carrier substances for use in additives, enzymes, flavourings, vitamins, minerals and certain other substances with nutritional or physiological effects. On 6 May 2021, EFSA published an updated safety assessment for E 171. According to this, E 171 is no longer considered safe for use as a food additive. The EFSA safety assessment found that titanium dioxide is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract to a very low extent, but takes a long time to be excreted from the body. In addition, titanium dioxide has the potential to accumulate in tissues. After evaluation of the available data, the suspicion of a mutagenic effect of titanium dioxide could not be invalidated. Based on this safety assessment, Switzerland decided that this additive should no longer be used in food.

    Open on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)Official WTO document (opens in a new tab)Notified document (French) (opens in a new tab)Notified document 2 (opens in a new tab)Notified document 3 (opens in a new tab)

  3. Regular notificationG/SPS/N/CHE/85

    Comment deadline: Closed on 8 February 2022

    Ordinance on additives (Ordonnance du DFI sur les additifs admis dans les denrées alimentaires / Verordnung des EDI über die zulässigen Zusatzstoffe in Lebensmitteln)

    View original

    Ordinance on additives (F: Ordonnance du DFI sur les additifs admis dans les denrées alimentaires / D: Verordnung des EDI über die zulässigen Zusatzstoffe in Lebensmitteln)

    The text removes the authorization to use titanium dioxide (E 171) in foods based on the recent scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluding that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered as safe when used as a food additive. In order to allow for a smooth transition, the text lays down that foods that contain titanium dioxide (E 171) used in accordance with the rules applicable before the date of entry into force of the ordinance may be placed on the market until six months after that date. Those foods may then continue to be marketed until their date of minimum durability or 'use by' date.

    Open on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)Official WTO document (opens in a new tab)Notified document (French) (opens in a new tab)Notified document 2 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Expodite writes its summary from the official record. The notification and the documents it notifies are on the WTO's own websites.

All updates from Switzerland

  1. WTO notificationTBTProposed measure, open for comments

    Revision of the Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Office of Communications on telecommunications installations (OOIT), (2 pages, in German and French). Revision, creation and…

    [Annex 2] Several radio interface regulations (RIR) are amended in line with the latest developments and European harmonization. Following radio interface regulations are amended (784.101.21/ …): RIR0501-33: Private IMT networks in the frequency range 3400 – 3500 MHz (Non-Public Network (NPN))…

    Symbol: G/TBT/N/CHE/306Comments until 13 December 2026

  2. WTO notificationTBTProposed measure, open for comments

    Draft Amendment of the Chemicals Act

    The national poison center provides important services to the public and healthcare professionals in cases of poisoning. However, the center’s funding is not adequately regulated. The current Chemicals Act provides for the designation and financial support of a poison center by the federal…

    Symbol: G/TBT/N/CHE/305Comments until 2 January 2027

  3. WTO notificationTBTProposed measure, open for comments

    Amendment of Annexes 2 and 3 of the Ordinance on Protection against Dangerous Substances and Preparations (Chemicals Ordinance; ChemO)

    Annex 2 ChemO: 1. Harmonized classifications and labelling of substances (24th ATP of the EU-CLP regulation): 38 substances or groups of substances are added to the List of harmonized classifications and labeling of dangerous substances, and 9 existing entries are modified. 2. The latest…

    Symbol: G/TBT/N/CHE/304Comments until 2 January 2027

  4. WTO notificationTBTProposed measure, open for comments

    Draft revision of the ordinance on energy efficiency

    As part of the present revision of the Energy Efficiency Ordinance of November 1, 2017 (EnEV; SR 730.02), adaptations to EU law are being made. Energy efficiency requirements are adapted to EU law in Annexes 1.18 (Local Space Heaters) and 2.2 (external power supplies). The existing exception to EU…

    Symbol: G/TBT/N/CHE/303Comments until 16 November 2026

All export regulation updates

Get these automatically for your products and markets.

Expodite matches each notification to the markets you export to and the HS codes of your products, and puts the ones that concern you in your Updates centre, with the date comments close.

Start freeSee export intelligence