Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/4

12 January 2004

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 10/2004

European Union (EU)* :Directive on the Indication of the Ingredients Present in Foodstuffs

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU have adopted a Directive to make it obligatory to include in the labelling all ingredients and other substances present in the foodstuff. In the case of alcoholic beverages, it shall be mandatory to list all ingredients with allergenic effect present in the beverage concerned. Details are set out in Directive 2003/89/EC (the Directive), a copy of which is attached (pdf format) to this circular for reference.

DETAILS

2. In order to achieve a high level of health protection for consumers and to guarantee their right to information, the EU authorities consider that consumers should be appropriately informed as regards foodstuffs through the listing of all ingredients on labels. The existing labelling rules are therefore amended. Salient points of the new labelling requirements under the Directive are set out in the following -

   1. substances with allergenic effect (a list of such substances is provided at the Annex (pdf format) of the Directive) must be indicated on the labelling when they are present in foodstuffs or alcoholic beverages;
       

   2. fruit, vegetables or mushrooms when used in a mixture as ingredients of a foodstuff, and other ingredients constituting less than 2% of the finished product are subject to specific labelling requirements; and
       

   3. listing of the composition of a compound ingredient is not compulsory if it constitutes less than 2% of the finished product. This exemption however does not apply to certain additives.

3. With effect from 25 November 2005, Member States shall prohibit the sale of products that do not comply with the requirements of the Directive except those placed on the market or labelled prior to this date while stocks last.

ENQUIRIES

4. For enquiries about the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5684.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Sandra SOU)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* : The EU Member States are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.