Mandatory labelling requirements for food products in Hong Kong

The main requirement for food labelling in Hong Kong, China is the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulation
.
Under the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulation, unless exempted, all prepackaged food must be labelled in Chinese or English or in Chinese (Traditional) English
.

Name of the food

Food names must not be false, misleading or fraudulent, and consumers need to be fully informed about the nature and type
of food.

Ingredient list

1.
The ingredient list should have appropriate, such as "ingredients", "composition", "contents" and other words or similar meanings, arranged by the proportion of ingredients from largest to
smallest.

2.
Ingredients containing the following allergenic substances and their products need to be labeled:

· cereals containing gluten (i.
e.
wheat, rye, barley, oats, rift wheat, their mixed varieties and their products);

· crustaceans and crustacean products;

· eggs and egg products;

· fish and fish products;

· peanuts, soybeans and their products;

· Milk (including lactose)

· milk and dairy products (including lactose);

· tree nuts and nut products; and

· Sulfites
in concentrations of 10 parts per million or more.

The terms that may be used are: This product contains ○○ and its products

3.
For food additives contained in the ingredient list, it is necessary to list the additive's class of action and the name it uses, or its identification number
in the international coding system for food additives adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

If the food contains titanium dioxide, it can be labeled: pigment (171) or pigment (titanium dioxide).

The specific number and name of food additives can be found in the "Food Additives Consumer Guide
".

4.
It should be noted that there are some differences
between the names of food raw materials and additives in Hong Kong and those in the mainland.

For example, "cream" is labeled "cream" in Hong Kong, and "talcum" is labeled "talc"
in Hong Kong.
In the ingredient list, it is necessary to carefully check the name
of the raw material in Hong Kong.

Shelf life

It can be marked in Chinese or English "Use by" or "Best before"

Special storage methods or instructions for use

If prepackaged food needs to be stored in a special way to preserve its quality, or special instructions must be followed at the time of use, the method of use or instructions
must be clearly stated on the label.

Quantity, weight, or volume

The quantity or net weight or net volume
of the prepackaged food must be stated on the label.

The name and address of the manufacturer or packer

1.
Food manufactured in Hong Kong must state the full or trade name of the manufacturer or packer and the address of its registered or principal office

2.
Food not manufactured in Hong Kong should indicate the country of origin of the food, the name and address of the distributor in Hong Kong

Nutrition labels

Nutrition information on general prepackaged foods includes nutrition labels and nutrition claims, nutrition claims include nutrient content claims, nutrient comparison claims and nutrient function claims
.

1.
The nutrients that must be labeled are energy plus 7 specified nutrients - i.
e.
energy, protein, carbohydrates, sugars, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium
.

2.
Nutrients involved in nutritional claims (cholesterol content must also be indicated when claims involve any fat category)

3.
Other nutrients
can also be voluntarily labeled.

4.
The nutrient expression that must be labeled can be per 100 grams, per package, and per serving size

5.
Exemption Principle - Some foods are exempt from nutrition labeling

Examples of nutrition labels:

Ruio reminds that food labeling is an important way for enterprises to convey food information to consumers, which is conducive to consumers making correct product choices
.
Therefore, at present, the management of food labels in various countries and regions is becoming increasingly strict and standardized, and enterprises need to continue to pay attention to the dynamics of food labeling regulations and adjust or update them in a timely manner so as not to affect normal trade exchanges
.

(Source: Ruio Technology)