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    3. Compositional Aspects
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    3. Compositional Aspects

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    General Foods
     Hong Kong 


    This section provides the compositional requirements for the food category and/or food products in scope and information on permitted nutrients, ingredients, and additives.

    3.1 Composition Requirements

    General Foods composition requirements are laid down in the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labeling) Regulations (Cap. 132) [1]. 

    Composition requirements are laid down in detail for a limited number of products such as milk-based products, infant formula, margarine, vinegar, and baking powder. The regulations also provide the general definitions of ingredients and additives that can be used in food. These regulations do not provide composition criteria for beverage drinks with an alcoholic strength by volume of more than 1.2% but specifically exclude them from the labeling and nutritional labeling provisions of these regulations.

    3.2 Raw Material Requirements

    Please refer to Section 3.1 above.

    3.3 Fortification

    Requirements for General Foods fortification are laid out in the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labeling) Regulations (Cap. 132) [1].  

    3.4 Other Permitted Ingredients

    Permitted ingredients for General Foods are laid out in the below regulations:

    1. Colouring Matter in Food Regulations (Cap. 132H) [2]
    2. Sweeteners in Food Regulations (Cap. 132U) [3]
    3. Food and Drugs (Composition and Labeling) Regulations (Cap. 132W) [1]
    4. Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap. 132BD) [4]

    3.5 Permitted Additives

    Provisions for additives are laid down in the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labeling) Regulations (Cap. 132W [1]) where Additive (添加劑) means any substance, not commonly regarded or used as food, that is added to, or used in or on, food at any stage to affect its keeping qualities, texture, consistency, appearance, taste, odor, alkalinity or acidity, or to serve any other technological function in relation to food, and includes processing aids in so far as they are added to, or used in or on, food as aforesaid, but does not include—

    1. vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients in so far as they are used solely for the purpose of fortifying or enriching food or of restoring the constituents of food;
    2. herbs or spices when used as seasoning;
    3. hops;
    4. salt;
    5. yeast or yeast extracts;
    6. the total products of any hydrolysis or autolysis of food protein;
    7. starter cultures;
    8. malt or malt extract;
    9. any substance that is present in food solely as a result of its addition to animal, bird, or fish feeding stuff or its use in a process or treatment carried out in crop husbandry, animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, or storage (including any pesticide, fumigant, sprout depressant or veterinary medicine); or
    10. air or water; (L.N. 222 of 1985).

    Permitted Sweeteners for General Foods are as follows:

    1. Acesulfame Potassium
    2. Alitame
    3. Aspartame
    4. Aspartame-acesulfame Salt
    5. Cyclamic Acid (and Sodium, Potassium, Calcium Salts)
    6. Saccharin (and Sodium, Potassium, Calcium Salts)
    7. Sucralose
    8. Thaumatin
    9. Neotame 
    10. Steviol Glycosides

    3.6 Permitted Flavors and Colors 

    There is currently no specific legislation in Hong Kong governing the use of flavoring agents. The food law in Hong Kong under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) covers general protection for food purchasers, offenses in connection with the sale of unfit food and adulterated food, composition, and labeling of food, food hygiene, seizure and destruction of unfit food.

    When considering whether any flavoring agent is allowed to be added to foods, reference from safety evaluation done by international food safety authorities such as JECFA.

    The permitted colorants are listed in Coloring Matter in Food Regulations (Cap. 132H) [5] and are:

    Permitted Coloring Matter

    Part I

    Coal Tar Colors

    Common Name of Color

    Scientific Name

    Color Index Number (1982)

    Allura Red AC

    Disodium salt of 6-hydroxy-5-[(2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-sulphophenyl)-azo]-2-naphthalene-sulphonic acid.

    16035

    Amaranth

    Trisodium salt of 1-(4-sulpho-1-naphthylazo)-2-naphthol-3: 6-disulphonic acid.

    16185

    Black PN (Brilliant Black BN)

    Tetrasodium salt of 8-acetamido-2-(7-sulpho-4-p-sulphophenylazo-1-naphthylazo)-1-naphthol-3:5-disulphonic acid.

    28440

    Brilliant Blue FCF (Brilliant Blue FD & C No. 1)

    Disodium salt of 4-{(4-(N-ethyl-p-sulphobenzylamino)-phenyl)-(2-sulphoniumphenyl)-methylene}-(1-(N-ethyl-N-p-sulphobenzyl)-△2, 5-cyclohexadien-imine).

    42090

    Brown FK

    A mixture consisting essentially of the disodium salt of 1:3-diamino-4:6-di-(p-sulphophenylazo) benzene and the sodium salt of 2:4-diamino-5-(p-sulphophenylazo) toluene.

    —

    Carmoisine

    Disodium salt of 2-(4-sulpho-l-naphthylazo)-l-naphthol-4 -sulphonic acid.

    14720

    Chocolate Brown HT

    Disodium salt of 2:4-dihydroxy-3:5-di-(4-sulpho-l-naphthylazo) benzyl alcohol.

    20285

    Erythrosine (BS)

    Disodium or dipotassium salt of 2:4:5:7-tetra-iodo-fluorescein.

    45430

    Green S

    Sodium salt of di-(p-dimethylaminophenyl)-2-hydroxy-3:6-disulphonaphthylmethanol andydride.

    44090

    Indigotine (Indigo Carmine)

    Disodium salt of indigotin-5:5'-disulphonic acid.

    73015

    Lithol Rubine BK

    Disodium salt of 3-hydroxy-4-[(2-sulpho-p-tolyl)azo]-2-naphthoic acid.

    15850

    Patent Blue V

    Calcium salt of (4-[α-(p-(diethylamino) phenyl)-5-hydroxy-2, 4-disulphobenzylidene]-2, 5-cyclohexadien-1-ylidene) diethyl -ammonium hydroxide inner salt.

    42051

    Ponceau 4R

    Trisodium salt of 1-(4-sulpho-l-naphthylazo)-2-naphthol-6:8-disulphonic acid.

    16255

    Quinoline Yellow

    Disodium salt of disulphonic acid of 2-(2 quinolyl)-1, 3-indandione.

    47005

    Sunset Yellow FCF

    Disodium salt of 1-p-sulphophenylazo-2-naphthol-6-sulphonic acid.

    15985

    Tartrazine

    Trisodium salt of 5-hydroxy-1-p-sulphophenyl-4-p-sulphophenylazo-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid.

    19140

    Part II

    Other Colors

    Description

    Color Index Number (1982)

    Caramel

    —

    Cochineal (Carminic acid)

    75470

    Coloring matter natural to edible fruits or vegetables or their pure coloring principles whether isolated from such natural colors or produced synthetically and including—


    (a)  Annatto

    75120

    (b)  Vegetable Black

    —

    (c)  Carotenes

    75130

    (d)  β-Apo-8'-carotenal

    40820

    (e)  β-Apo-8'-carotenoic acid ethyl ester

    40825

    (f)  Chlorophylls and Chlorophyllins

    including Copper complexes

    75810
    75815

    (g)  Saffron

    75100

    (h)  Turmeric (Curcumin)

    75300

    Iron Oxides

    77491

    Titanium dioxide

    77891

    Silver, Gold, and Aluminium in leaf or powder form solely for external coloring of dragees and decoration of sugar-coated flour confectionery.

    —

    The Aluminium or Calcium salts (lakes) of any of the scheduled water-soluble colors.


    3.7 Permitted Processing Aids 

    There is no definition for processing aids in Hong Kong Legislation. As a result, there is no specific requirement for processing aids.

    3.8 Additional Notes 

    None. 

    3.9 References

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

    https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap132W


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

    https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap132H


    3. Sweeteners in Food Regulations (Cap. 132U)

    https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap132U


    4. Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap. 132BD)

    https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap132BD


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

    https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap132H





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