Hong Kong

New nutrition labeling laws for Hong Kong will take effect on July 1, 2010. The laws require that prepackaged food sold in the territory be labeled for energy, protein, carbohydrates, fat, saturated fat, trans fast, sodium and sugars. Hong Kong will become the only market with such requirements, which are more strict than Codex proposals. Exemptions will be available for products that sell less than 30,000 units annually. Five of the territory’s 15 labs that test prepackaged foods are equipped to measure nutrient composition, which is estimated to cost $643 for each sample and take two weeks. Leading food retailers have indicated that they will only accept properly labeled foods after July 1, 2009. An estimated 65,000 packaged products are sold in Hong Kong. The US is the second largest food exporter to Hong Kong with such exports expected to reach $1 billion by year end. However, US nutrition labels differ from Hong Kong’s new laws due to the definitions and recommendations.

Source: US Department of Agriculture

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