G/SPS/N/HKG/42  
 
8 June 2017  
(17-3048) 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: Food and Health Bureau and Centre for Food Safety under Food 
and Environmental Hygiene Department of t he 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 consum ption 
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 Food Adultera tion (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap. 132V) (the 
Regulations).  Language(s): Chinese and English . Number of pages: 42 and 50  
6. Description of content: With a view to better protecting public health, facilitating 
effective regulation and promotin g harmonisation between local and international 
standards, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region proposes, 
through legislative amendments, to enhance and update the Regulations.  
We propose to amend the Regulations along the followin g directions/principles:  
(i) to replace the existing food categories of "all food in solid/liquid form" with specific 
maximum levels (MLs) targeting individual food/food groups, with a view to aligning 
with the Codex principle and modern international regulato ry trends of specifying 
metallic contamination standards for individual food/food groups of significant 
dietary exposure;  
(ii) to adopt Codex MLs unless otherwise justified;  
(iii) to establish MLs for food/food groups which are of significance to the population in 
Hong Kong , China  and for which there is no relevant Codex ML;  
(iv) to update the food descriptions and nomenclatures in the Regulations, with 
reference to the available Codex food descriptions and nomenclatures or those of 
other jurisdictions as appropriate; and  
(v) to incorporate interpretation of MLs into the Regulations, given that there is 
currently no interpretation in the Regulations on how the maximum permitted 
concentrations can be applied to food in a dried, dehydrated or concentrated form; 
as well as multi -ingredient products.  
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.  G/SPS/N/HKG/42  
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international sta ndard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : CODEX STAN 193 -1995, CODEX STAN 108 -1981 
and CODEX STAN 227 -2001 
[ ] 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, wheneve r possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be notified.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be not ified. 
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) : 5 September 2017 (Hong Kong time)  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] 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: metal_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: metal_consultation@fehd.gov.hk  
The notified text could also be downloaded from the following websites (effective from 
6 June 2017):  
In English:  
http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_fstr/whatsnew_fstr_PA_Food_Adult
eration_Metallic_Contamination.html  
In Chinese:  
http://www.cfs.gov.hk/tc_chi/whatsnew/whatsnew_fstr/whatsnew_fstr_PA_Food_Adulte
ration_Metallic_Contamination.html