Hong Kong Publishes Harmful Substances in Food (Amendment) Regulation 2021

| Contaminants & Pesticides
Posted By: Trace One

Trace One_Japan-food-regulatory-labelling

On June 11, 2021, the Centre for Food Safety, Hong Kong issued a regulation made under section 55 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) to amend the “Harmful Substances in Food Regulations 2021” substances such as industrially produced trans fats and mycotoxins in food.

The focal points of the amendment are summarized as follows:

  • To update the maximum permitted concentration of 3 harmful substances, namely, aflatoxins, erucic acid and melamine, in food.
  • Introduce the maximum permitted concentration of 5 harmful substances- benzo[a]pyrene, deoxynivalenol, glycidyl fatty acid esters, patulin and 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol, in food.
  • Amend regulation 3A of the principal Regulations to prohibit the import for human consumption of oil or fat, or a mixture of both, that contains partially hydrogenated oil.
  • Consequentially amend regulation 3B of the principal Regulations.
  • The provisions of the Regulation relating to partially hydrogenated oil will come into operation on December 01, 2023.

The other provisions of the Regulation will come into operation on June 01, 2023.

To view the draft regulation, check out the Food News Monitoring System.