. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/HKG/25 
2 May 2007 
 (07-1814) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  HONG KONG, CHINA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the 
Government of the Hong Kong Sp ecial 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):   Preservatives for use in food  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable:  
Countries/places exporting food to Hong Kong, China 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Proposed Amendments 
to the Preservatives in Food Regulations (available in English, 6 pages) 
6. Description of content:  To amend the Preservatives in Food Regulations by: 
(a) amendment of the definitions of preservatives and antioxidants; (b) incorporation of those preservatives an d antioxidants, as well as their permitted 
levels of use, that are listed in the Ge neral Standard on Food Additives (GSFA) into 
the Regulations; 
(c) combining Part I and Part II of the First Schedule to the Regulations;  and  (d) introduction of a food category system. 
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   
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [   ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:  We propose to amend the definitions of 
preservatives and antioxidants to make them in line with the corresponding definitions 
contained in the Codex document entitled Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives. 
We also propose to incorporate those preser vatives and antioxidants, as well as their 
permitted levels of use in the Codex Genera l Standards for Food Additives (GSFA) into the 
Regulations.  In situations where there are local standards for specific preservatives and G/SPS/N/HKG/25 
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  antioxidants in specified food items but ther e are no corresponding Codex standards, we 
propose that those permitted ones currently in the Regulations will continue, where 
appropriate, to be allowed. 
We also propose to develop a food categor y system based upon the food category system 
adopted by the Codex Committee on Food Add itives and Contaminants for use in the 
GSFA.  For food items in the Regulations whic h are unique to the local setting and may not 
fit the relevant Codex food category system, new food groups will be created. 
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Proposed 
Amendments to the Preservatives in Food Regulations (available in English) 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  To be notified. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be notified. 
12. Final date for comments:  60 days from issue date 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Trade and Industry Department 
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 
17/F, Trade and Industry Department Tower 
700 Nathan Road Hong Kong Tel:  +(852) 2398 5398 Fax:  +(852) 2789 2491 
E-mail:  mdiv1@tid.gov.hk  
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  See box 12