In foreign trade, the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) are all the non-tariff technical measures aimed at the protection of people, animals,
forests and plant life.
These Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures seek to protect against the risks
of contaminating
the
products, toxins or additives in food products.
They also seek to protect the lives of people from possible diseases related to the intake of animals or vegetables
They can also protect the spread of pests or biodiversity
The Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures are controlled by the customs
of the country of destination
The main Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) are the following:
Prohibitions or restrictions of imports for sanitary and phytosanitary reasons
Temporary
geographic prohibitions for sanitary and phytosanitary reasons
Geographical restrictions on eligibility
Systems approach (applies two or more independent sanitary and phytosanitary measures to a specific product)
Special authorization requirement for sanitary and phytosanitary reasons
Registration requirements for importers
Other prohibitions/restrictions of imports for sanitary and phytosanitary reasons
Tolerance limits for residues and restricted use of substances
Residue tolerance limits or contamination by certain substances (not
microbiological). Maximum residue limits (MRL)
Restricted use of certain substances in food and feed
Labeling, marking and packaging requirements
Labeling requirements
Marking requirements on packaging (food safety)
Packing and packaging requirements
Hygienic requirements (final product or productive process).
Microbiological criteria of the final product
Hygienic practices during production
Other Hygienic requirements
Treatment for elimination of plant and animal pests and disease-causing organisms in the final product
Cold/heat treatment
Irradiation
Fumigation
Other treatments
Other requirements on production or post-production processes