POST HARVEST PROFILE OF POTATO - Agmarknet

4.3.1 Sanitary and Phytosanitary Requirements :The Agreement on the application of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS)measures is an integral part of export trade, GATT (1994). Under SPS Agreement, thestandards should be such that the minimum level of protection required by an importingcountry may be attained. With this view, the agreement to set up international standardsand guidelines under the aegis of Codex Alimentarius Commission (CODEX) which wasset up in 1963 by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World HealthOrganization (WHO) to develop food standards, lay down guidelines and related textssuch as codes of practice under the Joint FAO / WHO Food Standards Programme. Themain purpose of this programme are protecting health of the consumers and ensuringfair trade practices in the food trade, and to promote coordination of all food standardswork undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations.The SPS measure is applied in various ways to protect animal and plant life orhealth within the territory of the member countries from risk arising from --The entry, establishment or spread of pest, disease or any disease causalorganisms.The additives, contaminants, toxins or disease causing organisms on food stuffs.The disease carried by animals, plants or their products.By Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement, the signatory country can laydown rules and regulations for the protection of life and health of human beings. Thesignatory country is allowed to maintain a higher level of SPS protection than theinternational standards provided it conforms to the following basic principles:-i) The SPS measure should not lead distortion in trade.ii) The SPS measure should not create any barrier in trade.iii) The SPS measure should also conform to scientific principles and standardsaccepted internationally.Under SPS measure, the standard should be applied in such a way that aminimum level of protection can be achieved by importing country.►During export, in order to make the plant/seeds free from any quarantine pestsand diseases, the exporter should give a dis-infection treatment by keeping theviability of the plant/seeds unaffected.The dis-infection treatment before shipment should be carried out by authorizedexpert/technical personnel since the above process is hazardous. To assure the pestfree product, the dis-infection treatment should be done just before shipment ofproduce.43