Macao Proposes to Revise Heavy Metal Limits in Food

In February 2026, Macao's Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) proposed the amendment of Administrative Regulation No. 23/2018 Maximum Limits of Heavy Metal Contaminants in Food, with the goal of enhancing public health, strengthening enforcement, and aligning Macao's food safety standards with international ones. The IAM is inviting the food industry and the public to submit their opinions on the proposed changes by the deadline of March 31, 2026 via [email protected] or fax 8296 1204.

The current Administrative Regulation No. 23/2018 prescribes a total of 135 maximum limits for five heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and tin) in various food categories, including vegetables, cereals, and aquatic products. Notable amendments are set out below:

Heavy metal	Food	Maximum limit (mg/kg)
Cadmium	Quinoa	0.15
	Chocolates containing or declaring<30% total cocoa solids on a dry matter basis	0.3
	Chocolate containing or declaring ≥30% to<50% total cocoa solids on a dry matter basis	0.7
	Chocolate containing or declaring ≥50% to < 70% total cocoa solids on a dry matter basis	0.8
	Chocolate containing or declaring ≥70% total cocoa solids on a dry matter basis	0.9
	Cocoa powder (100% total cocoa solids on a dry matter basis) ready for consumption	2.0
	Edible fungi and their products (excluding shiitake mushrooms, morels, sarcodon imbricatus, Russula virescens, chanterelles, hazel mushrooms, matsutake, porcini mushrooms, termitomyces albuminosus, lactarius volemus, truffles, agaricus blazei, wood ear, white fungus, and products made from the above-mentioned edible fungi)	0.2
	Morels, sarcodon imbricatus, Russula virescens, chanterelles, hazel mushrooms, and products made from the above-mentioned edible fungi	0.6
	matsutake, porcini mushrooms, termitomyces albuminosus, lactarius volemus, and products made from the above-mentioned edible fungi	1.0
	truffles, agaricus blazei, and products made from the above-mentioned edible fungi	2.0
	Wood ear and its products, white fungus and its products	0.5 (by dry weight)
	Canned fish	0.2
	Other fish products	0.1
	Sea crabs and mantis shrimps	3.0
	Cereal-based complementary foods for infants and young children	0.06
Lead	Cereal grains	0.2
	Quinoa	0.2
	Fruits	0.1
	Berries and other small fruits	0.1
	Jams, jellies, and marmalades	0.4
	Mango chutney	0.4
	Table olives	0.4
	Fresh farmed mushrooms	0.3
	Milk	0.02
	Edible fats and oils	0.08
	Salt, food grade (Excluding salt from marshes)	1.0
	Spices, dried rhizomes and roots	2.0
	Spices, dried floral parts	2.5
	Dried thyme	2.0
	Dried oregano	2.0
	Dried basil	2.0
	Fruit juices	0.03
	Grape juice	0.04
	Infant formula, formula for special medical purposes intended for infants and follow-up formula	0.01
	Cereal-based foods for infants and young children	0.02
	Oatmeal, wheat gluten, canned porridge, and filled cereal- and rice-based products	0.5
	Fresh ginger	0.2
	Brassica vegetables	0.2
	Vegetable products (excluding pickled vegetables and dried vegetables)	0.3
	Pickled vegetables	0.5
	Dried vegetables	0.8
	Fruit products (excluding fruit jam/purée, preserved fruits, and dried fruits)	0.2
	Preserved fruits	0.8
	Dried fruits	0.5
	Edible fungi and their products (excluding agaricus bisporus, pleurotus ostreatus, shiitake mushrooms, hazel mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, matsutake, truffles, Russula virescens, termitomyces albuminosus, chanterelles, lactarius volemus, wood ear, white fungus, and products made from the above-mentioned edible fungi)	0.5
	Porcini mushrooms, matsutake, truffles, Russula virescens, termitomyces albuminosus, chanterelles, lactarius volemus, and products made from the above-mentioned edible fungi	1.0
	Wood ear and its products, white fungus and its products	1.0 (by dry weight)
	Legumes	0.2
	Legume products (excluding soy milk)	0.3
	Soybean milk	0.05
	Fresh algae (excluding spirulina)	0.5
	Algae products (excluding spirulina products)	1.0
	Spirulina	2.0 (by dry weight)
	Meat products (excluding livestock and poultry offal products)	0.3
	Fish products	0.5
	Milk and dairy products (excluding raw milk, pasteurized milk, sterilized milk, modified milk, and fermented milk)	0.2
	Modified milk and fermented milk	0.04
	Eggs and egg products	0.2
	Seasonings (excluding spices)	1.0
	Spices (excluding Sichuan pepper, cinnamon [cassia], and mixed spices)	1.5
	Milk-containing beverages	0.05
	Concentrated fruit and vegetable juices (purées)	0.5
	Solid beverages	1.0
	Alcoholic beverages (excluding baijiu and huangjiu)	0.2
	Frozen drinks	0.3
	Honey	0.5
Methyl mercury	Pink cusk-eel	1.0
	Tuna	1.2
	Alfonsino	1.5
	Marlin	1.7
	Shark	1.6
	Edible fungi and their products (excluding wood ear and its products, and white fungus and its products)	0.1
	Wood ear and its products, white fungus and its products	0.1 (by dry weight)
Inorganic arsenic	Edible fungi and their products (excluding matsutake and its products, wood ear and its products, and white fungus and its products)	0.5
	Matsutake and its products	0.8
	Wood ear and its products, white fungus and its products	0.5 (by dry weight)
	Compound seasonings	0.1
	Canned complementary foods for infants and young children (excluding products made from aquatic products and animal liver as raw materials)	0.1