Food Legislation / Guidelines

Food Legislation / Guidelines

The basic food law in Hong Kong is laid down in Part V of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132). The main provisions cover general protection for food purchasers, offences in connection with sale of unfit food and adulterated food, composition and labelling of food, food hygiene, seizure and destruction of unfit food. Controls in specific areas are provided in subsidiary legislation under the Ordinance as detailed below.

Another food law in Hong Kong, the Food Safety Ordinance (Cap. 612), provides new food safety control measures, including a registration scheme for food importers and food distributors and a requirement for food traders to maintain proper records of the movements of food to enhance food traceability. It also empowers the authorities to make regulations for tightening import control on specific food types and to make orders to prohibit the import and supply of problem food and order the recall of such food.

Food Laws

Main Ordinances

  1. Part V of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132)
  2. Food Safety Ordinance (Cap. 612)

Related documents

Regulations

  1. Colouring Matter in Food Regulations (Cap.132H)

    Related document

  2. Dried Milk Regulations (Cap.132R)
  3. Sweeteners in Food Regulations (Cap.132U)
  4. Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap.132V)

    Related document

  5. Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations (Cap.132W)

    Related documents

  6. Food Business Regulation (Cap.132X)

    Related documents

  7. Frozen Confections Regulation (Cap.132AC)

    Related documents

  8. Harmful Substances in Food Regulations (Cap.132AF) 

    Related document

  9. Imported Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs Regulations (Cap.132AK)

    Related documents

  10. Milk Regulation (Cap.132AQ)

    Related documents

  11. Mineral Oil in Food Regulations (Cap.132AR)
  12. Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap.132BD)

    Related documents

  13. Slaughterhouses Regulation (Cap.132BU)
  14. Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM)

Amendments to Legislations

Guidelines for Trade

  1. Shared-use kitchen: Food safety guidelines for Food Businesses
  2. A Practical Food Safety Guide for Food Recovery Programmes 
  3. Salad - Food safety Guidelines for Food Businesses 
  4. Online Grocery Shopping and Delivery - Food Safety Advice for Food Businesses and Consumers 
  5. Salt lodisation - A Practical Guide for Salt Importers, Wholesalers and Retailers 
  6. Oysters Intended for Raw Consumption - Food Safety Guidelines for Food Businesses 
  7. Beef Burgers - Food Safety Guidelines for Food Businesses
  8. Eggs and Egg Products - Food Safety Guidelines for Food Businesses
  9. Guidance for Trade on the Prevention and Reduction of Aflatoxin Contamination in Peanuts 
  10. Guidance to Replace Industrially-produced Trans Fats in Food 
  11. Trade Guidelines on the Use of Deep-frying Oil  
  12. Trade Guidelines on Providing Consumer Advice on High-risk Foods on Menus 
  13. Technical Guidance Notes on Nutritional Composition and Nutrition Labelling of Infant Formula, Follow-up Formula and Prepackaged Food for Infants and Young Children
  14. Method Guidance Notes on Nutritional Composition and Nutrition Labelling of Infant Formula, Follow-up Formula and Prepackaged Food for Infants and Young Children
  15. Trade Guidelines for Reducing Sugars and Fats in Foods
  16. Trade Guidelines for Reducing Sodium in Foods
  17. Trade Guidelines on Preparation of Legible Food Label
  18. Trade Guidelines on Safe Production of Non-prepackaged Beverages
  19. Trade Guidelines on Safe Production of Buns and Sandwiches
  20. Trade Guidelines on Safe Production of Sweet Food
  21. A Guide for Food service and Retail Outlets - Practise Food Hygiene to Prevent Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E
  22. Trade Guidelines on Reducing Acrylamide in Food
  23. Trade Guidelines on Safe Production of Chinese Cold Dishes
  24. Guidelines on the Use of Disposable Tray Liners
  25. Guidelines to the Trade on Reducing the Level of Ethyl Carbamate in Alcoholic Beverages during Storage and Transport
  26. Guidelines on the Use of Aluminium-containing Food Additives
  27. Guidelines for Safe Preparation and Handling of Poached Chicken - A Guide to Food Factory, Foodservice and Retail Outlets
  28. Guidelines for Safe Preparation and Handling of Poached Chicken - A Guide to Consumer
  29. Trade Guidelines on Safe Production of Rice and Noodles
  30. Preservatives and Antioxidants User Guidelines
  31. Technical Guidance Notes on Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claims
  32. Method Guidance Notes on Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claims
  33. Guide to Application for Small Volume Exemption (PDF)
  34. Guidelines on the Use of Disposable Plastic Containers
  35. Labelling Guidelines on Food Allergens, Food Additives and Date format
  36. Guidelines on Voluntary Labelling of Genetically Modified (GM) Food
  37. Microbiological Guidelines for Food
  38. Guide to Import of Mainland Chilled Chickens into Hong Kong
  39. Guide to Import of Food into Hong Kong
  40. Guide to Import of Milk and Milk Beverages into Hong Kong
  41. Guide to Import of Frozen Confections into Hong Kong
  42. Guide to Import of Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs into Hong Kong
  43. Guide to Import of Marine Products into Hong Kong
  44. Guide to Application for Import Licence for Frozen Meat, Chilled Meat, Frozen Poultry and Chilled Poultry
  45. Food Recall Guidelines
  46. Code of Hygienic Practice for Aseptically Processed and Packaged Low-Acid Foods
  47. Monitoring Pesticides Residues in Food
  48. CODE OF PRACTICE - Import and Sale of Live Marine Fish for Human Consumption
  49. Code of Practice on Food Safety Orders
  50. Trade Guidelines on Serving Size of Prepackaged Food For Nutrition Labelling
  51. A Guide to the Registration Scheme for Food Importers and Food Distributors
  52. Code of Practice on Keeping Records Relating to Food