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In response to media enquiries, a spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said today (April 25) that the Government's proposed nutrition labelling scheme was carefully formulated to balance the need to assist consumers in making food choices, and the need to help maintain a diversity in food choices.
Noting that the United States and Canada had adopted a more stringent labelling scheme and that some of the imported pre-packaged food products already complied with the proposed requirement, the spokesman believed the number of food products with nutrition claims that might not come to Hong Kong as a result of the labelling scheme would be less than that asserted by the trade.
The trade estimated that if food products with nutrition claims were not eligible for small volume exemption, 2.5% of the pre-packaged food imported to Hong Kong might be withdrawn from the Hong Kong market.
"However, change in product variety was a normal trade practice, with an average product turnover rate of about 14% in the market," the spokesman added.
The spokesman also pointed out that a Government public opinion survey revealed that there was strong public support for the nutrition labelling scheme proposed by the Government.
Ninety-three per cent of the 860 respondents agreed that prepackaged food with nutrition claims should list out all the nutrition information to support the claim. About 81% considered it worthwhile to implement the nutrition labelling scheme even if it would result in reduction in food choice.
More than 90% of the respondents took the view that it was reasonable to require all prepackaged food with claims, regardless of its sales volume, to set out the nutritional information.
A large number of respondents did not agree with relaxation for small volume food products with annual sales volume of 30,000 or below.
"We look forward to working together with legislators in the passage of the relevant nutrition labelling regulation for the benefit of public health, " the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, April 25, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:30
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