Preservatives in Food (Amendment) Regulation 2008 Preservatives and Antioxidants-User Guidelines

1 Introduction
1.1 Purpose
The Preservatives in Food (Amendment) Regulation 2008 (the Amendment Regulation) was tabled at the Legislative Council in April 2008 and shall come into operation on 1 July 2008. The Amendment Regulation amended the Preservatives in Food Regulation, Cap. 132BD. These User Guidelines (Guidelines) aim to assist the trade in having a better understanding of the Amendment Regulation, especially the new food category system contained in Schedule 1 of the legislation, and to answer some of the frequently asked questions. The Guidelines also provide detailed description of the categories and sub-categories under the food category system for consistent interpretation and application.

The Guidelines are set out, making reference to the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (Codex Stan 192-1995, Revision 2007) (GSFA), with modifications to cater for the local situation. The Guidelines are subject to revision.

1.2 Background
In Hong Kong, most food safety related rules and regulations are contained in Part V of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, Cap. 132. The Ordinance stipulates that all food on sale must be wholesome, unadulterated and fit for human consumption. There is also a set of subsidiary legislation which spells out the standards for specific food products or substances allowed in food.