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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

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

 

Ref : EIC 230/2/12

15 January 2007

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 40/2007

European Union (EU)* : Regulation on the Addition of Vitamins and Minerals and of Certain Other Substances to Foods

The European Parliament and Council of the EU have adopted a Regulation concerning the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods. Details are set out in Regulation (EC) 1925/2006 (the Regulation), copy (pdf format) of which is attached to this Circular for reference.

DETAILS

  1. The Regulation sets out provisions for the addition of i) vitamins and minerals; and ii) certain other substances to foods, except food supplements covered by Directive 2002/46/EC.

Vitamins and Minerals

  1. Only vitamins and/or minerals listed in Annex I of the Regulation, in the forms of vitamin formulations and mineral substances listed in Annex II, can be added to foods. Pursuant to the Regulation, the European Commission will specify the purity criteria for vitamin formulations and mineral substances; the maximum amounts of vitamin or mineral allowed to be present in foodstuffs; and any conditions restricting or prohibiting the addition of a specific vitamin or mineral to a food or a category of foods in future. At present, vitamins and minerals should not be added to unprocessed foodstuffs such as fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish; and beverage containing more than 1.2% by volume of alcohol, except certain wine products. Provisions on labelling, presentation and advertising for foods which vitamins and minerals have been added are also specified in Article 7 of the Regulation.

Certain Other Substances

  1. The European Commission will specify conditions for addition of certain substances other than vitamins and minerals in foods according to the procedures set out in the Regulation. These include lists of prohibited substances and restricted substances which are allowed under specific conditions. Details will be set out in Annex III of the Regulation.

Entry into force

  1. The Regulation shall apply from 1 July 2007. Foods placed on the market or labelled prior to 1 July 2007 which do not comply with the Regulation may be marketed until their expiry date, but not later than 31 July 2009.

ENQUIRIES

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


Yours faithfully,

(Miss Angel POON)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.



Note ：

  • While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.