G/SPS/N/HKG/48  
26 May 2023  
(23-3620) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  HONG KONG, CHINA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Environment and Ecology Bureau and Centre for Food Safety of 
the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Government of the Hong Kong 
Special Administrative Region  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Food for  human consumption  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Consultation Document on Proposed Amendments to 
the Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap. 132BD) . Language(s):  English and Chinese . 
Number of pages:  193 and 203  
https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_fstr/whatsnew_fstr_Proposed_Am
endments_Preservatives_Food_R egulation.html  (English)  
https://www.cfs.gov.hk/tc_chi/whatsnew/whatsnew_fstr/whatsnew_fstr_Proposed_Am e
ndments_Preservatives_Food_Regulation.html  (Chinese)  
6. Description of content:  The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative 
Region proposes, through legislative amendments, to update the regulatory control of 
preservatives and antioxidants in food, with a view to enhancing protection for 
consumers, promoting harmonization of local and international food safety standards, and 
facilitating the food trade. The exercise mainly involves updating the definitions of 
"preservative" and "antioxidant", the list of permitted preservatives and antioxidants as 
well as the maximum permitted levels of such permitted preservatives and antioxidants 
in specified food.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant prote ction, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number o f Codex 
standard or related text) : CODEX STAN 192 -1995 
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  G/SPS/N/HKG/48  
 
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  Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are availab le:   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be notified.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be notified.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : To be notified.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 28 August 2023  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enqui ry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
Centre for Food Safety  
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department  
43/F, Queensway Government Offices  
66 Queensway, Hong Kong  
Fax: +(852) 2893 3547  
E-mail: Preservative_consultation@fehd.gov.hk  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Centre for Food Safety  
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department  
43/F, Queensway Government Offices  
66 Queensway, Hong Kong  
Fax: +(852) 2893 3547  
E-mail: Preservative_consultation@fehd.gov.hk