Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point

Hong Kong, China notified in G/SPS/N/HKG/50 dated 16 December 2024 a consultation document on the Proposed Amendments to the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap. 132V, Laws of Hong Kong). 

The proposed amendments aim to keep abreast of international development on maximum levels (MLs) of metallic contaminants in food by adding twenty-seven new MLs for specified metal in specified food (food pair) and updating nine MLs for existing food pairs, with reference to latest standards of Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) and major food importing places. The proposed amendments were incorporated in the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 ("Amendment Regulation") which was gazetted on 2 July 2025 and passed by the Legislative Council on 30 July 2025 after completion of the negative vetting procedure.

This addendum notifies that the Amendment Regulation will come into operation on 5 September 2025. The commencement will be followed by the 18-month grace period, which will end on 5 March 2027. During the grace period, it would be legal for any single food item to comply fully with either the updated standards or the ones immediately in force before the commencement date. After the end of the grace period, the requirements of the Amendment Regulation must be fully complied with.