8. Safety Parameters

Provision, Limits, Testing Methods

Foodstuff/General Food

Food Regulations [1]

Regulation 35(1) for ready-to-eat foods

• Enterobacteriaceae (including E. coli of any strain), < 10,000 cfu/g (solid food) or < 10,000 cfu/ml (for liquid food) (not applicable to fresh fruit, fresh vegetable or ripened cheese, or food that contains the above.)
• Escherichia coli, <100 cfu/g or ml
• Bacillus cereus, <200 cfu/g or ml
• Clostridium perfringens, <100 cfu/g or ml
• Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus, <100 cfu/g or ml

Any pathogens not mentioned must not be detected in any ready-to-eat food.

Category

Alcoholic drinks

Alcoholic drinks are considered ready-to-eat food. Regulation 35(2) defines Ready-to-eat-food:

a) means any article of food that is made available for sale for direct human consumption without the need for cooking or any other form of processing to eliminate, or reduce to a microbiological standard specified in the Eleventh Schedule, any pathogenic or other micro-organism of concern in the article of food; and

b) includes cup noodles, fruit juice cordial, squash or syrup, powdered beverages, and other concentrated foods that are meant to be reconstituted or diluted with fluids before consumption.

Same as "Category" (alcoholic drinks) above.

Ready-to-drink beverages (mainly Chuhai)

Same as "Category" (alcoholic drinks) above.

Provision, Limits, Testing Methods

Foodstuff/General Food

Food Regulations [1] 

Mineral hydrocarbons – Regulation 36 prohibits the use in the composition or preparation of any article of food intended for human consumption. 

Arsenic, lead - Regulation 31(1) and the Tenth Schedule of the Food Regulations for maximum amounts of arsenic and lead permitted in food.

Mercury – Regulation 31(3) of the Food Regulations on the limits for mercury for food / specific food. The limit for General Food is 0.05 ppm. 

Tin – Regulation 31(4) of the Food Regulations. The limit for General Food is 250 ppm. 

Cadmium – Regulation 31(5) of the Food Regulations on the limits for Cadmium for food / specific food. The limit for General Food is 0.2 ppm. 

Antimony – Regulation 31(6) of the Food Regulations; Limit for General Food is 1ppm. 

Mycotoxins – Regulation 34 of the Food Regulations on the maximum amount allowed for mycotoxins in different types of food.

1. Aflatoxin B1 for any article of food except food for infants or young children – 5 ppb
2. Aflatoxins, total (B1, B2, G1, and G2) for any article of food except food for infants or young children – 5 ppm
3. Patulin for food containing fruit juice as ingredient – 50 ppm 

Melamine - Regulation 34B. The limit for General Food is ≤ 2.5 ppm.

Category

Alcoholic drinks

Arsenic and lead - Refer to Regulation 31(1) and the Tenth Schedule of the Food Regulations [1] for maximum amounts of arsenic and lead permitted in beverages, and alcoholic liquor not otherwise specified. 

• Arsenic, ≤0.2 ppm
• Lead ≤0.2 ppm 

Same as "General Food" above.

Ale, beer, cider, perry, porter, stout

• Arsenic, ≤0.2ppm
• Lead ≤0.2ppm 

Ready-to-drink beverages (mainly Chuhai)

Alcoholic liquor not otherwise specified

• Arsenic, ≤0.2ppm
• Lead ≤0.2ppm

Brandy, gin, rum, whisky, and other alcoholic liquor and Chinese wine exceeding 40.0% v/v alcohol at 20^oC

• Arsenic, ≤0.2ppm
• Lead ≤0.2ppm

Provision, Limits, Testing Methods

Foodstuff/General Food

Food Regulations [1]

Pesticide residues – Refer to Regulation 30(2) and the Ninth Schedule for maximum amounts of pesticides permitted in different types of food.

Category

Alcoholic drinks

Alcoholic drinks are not covered in the Ninth Schedule of the Food Regulations. Hence, if not prescribed in the Regulations, the pesticide residue contained in any food must not exceed the maximum limit or extraneous maximum residue limit stated for the residue adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. 

Product
Whisky

Same as "Category" (alcoholic drinks) above.

Ready-to-drink beverages (mainly Chuhai)

Provision, Limits, Testing Methods

Foodstuff/General Food

N/A.

Category

Alcoholic drinks

None.

None.

Ready-to-drink beverages (mainly Chuhai)

None.

None.