China proposed amendmentsto the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations

Food and Health Bureau and Centre for Food Safety under Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region published Consultation Document on Proposed Amendments to the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations. With a view to better protecting public health, facilitating effective regulation and promoting harmonisation between local and international standards, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region proposes, through legislative amendments, to enhance and update the Regulations.

We propose to amend the Regulations along the following directions/principles :

(i)     to replace the existing food categories of "all food in solid/liquid form" with specific maximum levels (MLs) targeting individual food/food groups, with a view to aligning with the Codex principle and modern international regulatory trends of specifying metallic contamination standards for individual food/food groups of significant dietary exposure;

(ii)    to adopt Codex MLs unless otherwise justified;

(iii)   to establish MLs for food/food groups which are of significance to the population in Hong Kong, China and for which there is no relevant Codex ML;

(iv)   to update the food descriptions and nomenclatures in the Regulations, with reference to the available Codex food descriptions and nomenclatures or those of other jurisdictions as appropriate; and

(v)    to incorporate interpretation of MLs into the Regulations, given that there is currently no interpretation in the Regulations on how the maximum permitted concentrations can be applied to food in a dried, dehydrated or concentrated form; as well as multi-ingredient products.

Products covered : Food for human consumption

Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy): To be notified.

Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy): To be notified.

Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or(dd/mm/yy): To be notified.

Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification and/or (dd/mm/yy): 5 September 2017 (Hong Kong time)

If the Proposal/Notification/Regulation will affect your International Business please send us your representation with facts and figures , so that these can be taken up suitably.