WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/HKG/38 
2 November 2012 
 (12-6032) 
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:  Family Health Service, Department of Health 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  Infant formula, follow-up formula, fe eding bottles, teats, pacifiers and food 
products for infant and young children (0-36 months) 
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:  Hong Kong Code of Marketing and Quality of Formula 
Milk and Related Products, and Food Products  for Infants & Young Children ("the HK 
Code")  Language(s):  English  Number of pages:  41 
6. Description of content:  The HK Code is voluntary in nature.  It provides guidelines on 
marketing (including labelling) and quality of infant formula, follow-up formula, feeding 
bottles, teats, pacifiers and food products for infant and young children to manufacturers 
and distributors, health workers and health facilities. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other damage from pests.   
The HK Code aims to contribute to the pr otection of breastfeeding and provision of safe 
and adequate nutrition for infants and young children, by: 
(a) protecting breastfeeding; and 
(b) ensuring the proper use of formula milk, formula milk related products, and food 
products for infants and young children up to the age of 36 months, 
on the basis of adequate and unbiased info rmation and through appr opriate marketing. 
8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)  
Standard for Infant Formula and Formulas  for Special Medical Purposes Intended 
for Infants  (CODEX STAN 72-1981); 
Standard for Follow-up formula  (CODEX STAN 156-1987),  G/SPS/N/HKG/38 
Page 2  
 
  Standard for Canned Baby Foods  (CODEX STAN 73-1981);  
Standard for Processed Cereal-Based Foods for Infants and Young Children  
(CODEX STAN 74-1981);  
General Standard for Food Additives  (CODEX STAN 192-1995);  
Code of Hygienic Practice for Powdered Formulae for Infants and Young Children  
(CAC/RCP 66-2008);  
Guidelines for Formulated Supplementary Foods for Older Infants and Young 
Children  (CAC/GL 08-1991); 
General Standard for the Labelling of and Claims for Prepackaged Foods for 
Special Dietary Uses  (CODEX STAN 146-1985) 
_______________ 
International Code of Marketing of Br eastmilk Substitutes (International Code) 
adopted by the WHO in 1981 and subsequent World Health Assembly (WHA) 
resolutions 
[ ] 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 
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 available:  Available in 
Chinese 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Second quarter 2013 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  Second quarter 2013 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [X] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :    
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  31 December 2012 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:     G/SPS/N/HKG/38 
 Page 3 
 
 
  13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
Family Health Service, Department of Health  
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Room 1308, 13/F, Guardian House 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai 
Hong Kong, China 
Fax:  +(852) 2574 8977 E-mail:  hkcode@dh.gov.hk Website:  http://www.fhs.gov.hk/english/adhoc/hkcode/hkcode.html