1. Where can I find the basic food law in Hong Kong?

The basic food law in Hong Kong is laid down in 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. Control in specific areas are provided in subsidiary legislation under the Ordinance such as:

  1. Colouring Matter in Food Regulations (Cap. 132H)
  2. Dried Milk Regulations (Cap. 132R)
  3. Sweeteners in Food Regulations (Cap. 132U)
  4. Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap. 132V)
  5. Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations (Cap. 132W)
  6. Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X)
  7. Frozen Confections Regulation (Cap. 132AC)
  8. Harmful Substances in Food Regulations (Cap. 132AF)
  9. Imported Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs Regulations (Cap. 132AK)
  10. Milk Regulation (Cap. 132AQ)
  11. Mineral Oil in Food Regulations (Cap. 132AR)
  12. Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap. 132BD)
  13. Slaughterhouses Regulation (Cap. 132BU)
  14. Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM)

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.

Details of the above food law are available at the website https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/?_lang=en.

2. What is ice-cream? New

Ice-cream is a kind of frozen confection. Its composition is regulated under Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations (Cap. 132W) which stipulates that ice-cream shall contain not less than 5% fat, 10% sugar and 7.5% milk solids other than fat.  Provided that ice-cream containing any fruit, fruit pulp or fruit puree shall either conform to the aforesaid standard or, alternatively, the total content of fat, sugar and milk solids other than fat shall not be less than 25% of the ice cream including the fruit, fruit pulp or fruit puree, as the case may be, and such total content of fat, sugar and milk solids other than fat shall include not less than 7.5% fat, 10% sugar and 2% milk solids other than fat.