Request a Demo
As a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong’s basic law and food legal system is still based on an Anglo-American model.
Competent Authority
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) was set up on 1 Jan 2000 and is responsible for food safety control, management of food incidents, etc.
Center for Food Safety (CFS), a branch of the FEHD, was established in May 2006 as a government food authority whose main obligations lie in implementing food safety control policies and enforcing food related legislation in Hong Kong.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is responsible for the enforcement of animal and plant regulations.
Regulatory Framework
The basic food law in Hong Kong is laid down in Part V of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), which includes the main provisions and several subsidiary legislations.
Subsidiary legislations under Part V:
Coloring Matter in Food Regulations (CAP 132H)
Dried Milk Regulations (CAP 132R)
Sweeteners in Food Regulations (CAP 132U)
Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (CAP 132V)
Food Business Regulation (CAP 132X)
Food and Drugs (Composition and Labeling) Regulations (CAP 132W)
Frozen Confections Regulation (CAP 132AC)
Harmful Substances in Food Regulations (CAP 132AF)
Imported Game, Meat and Poultry Regulations (CAP 132AK): to be replaced by Imported Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs Regulations as of 5 Dec 2015
Milk Regulation (CAP 132AQ)
Mineral Oil in Food Regulations (CAP 132AR)
Preservatives in Food Regulations (CAP 132BD)
Slaughterhouses Regulation (CAP 132BU)
Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (CAP 132CM)
Another food law in Hong Kong, the Food Safety Ordinance (Cap. 612), was implemented in 2011 to provide new food safety control measures. The Ordinance introduces:
A Registration scheme for food importers and distributors
Record-keeping requirement relating to movement of food
Please go to ChemLinked Food Database for the full text of these regulations.
Food additives Management
At present in Hong Kong there are three subsidiary regulations covering food additives and their limitations in operation which mainly cover coloring matters, sweeteners, preservatives and antioxidants. Meanwhile, specifications for dairy products have been laid down in the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labeling) Regulation. Generally positive lists are prescribed in appendices of the corresponding regulation and standard.
Please refer to ChemLinked Foodpedia: Hong Kong Food Additives for detailed information.
Contaminants Control
In the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations, limitations of 7 metals have been included, namely antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and tin.
In the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations, 39 approved substances with limitations have been included as well as 7 expressly prohibited substances.
In the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation, maximum residual limitations of pesticides and exempted pesticides have been included. Please click here to visit Hong Kong Pesticide MRL Database.
Regulation for formula products and foods for infants and young children
In the amendment to the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labeling) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulation 2014, the requirements on nutritional composition and nutrition labeling of infant formula products will come into operation on 13 December 2015 after a 18-month grace period. The requirements on nutrition labeling of follow-up formula products and prepackaged foods for infants and young children will be implemented on 13 June 2016 after a two-year grace period.
CFS has issued related guidelines on the labeling of formula products and foods for infants and young children with regards to the requirements laid down in the Regulation, which are:
We provide full-scale global food market entry services (including product registration, ingredient review, regulatory consultation, customized training, market research, branding strategy). Please contact us to discuss how we can help you by 
