The Department of Health today launched a public consultation on the draft Hong Kong Code of Marketing & Quality of Formula Milk & Related Products, & Food Products for Infants & Young Children.
The consultation exercise will run until December 31.
The code provides voluntary guidelines to manufacturers and distributors of designated products for children aged 36 months or below, including formula milk and related products, like feeding bottles, teats, pacifiers, and food products.
The consultation document sets out major provisions which cover promotional practices for designated products to the public; production and distribution of informational and educational materials related to breastfeeding and formula milk feeding and nutrition to the general public, pregnant women and mothers; and promotion in healthcare facilities.
The document also covers distribution of informational materials related to designated products to health workers, and the sponsorship of continuing education activities for health professionals; labelling for formula milk, food products for infants and young children and formula milk related products; and quality standards of formula milk and food products for infants and young children.
Two briefing sessions will be arranged to explain the content of the code and solicit views from the trade.
Views on the code will also be invited in the Centre for Food Safety's Trade Consultation Forum in November.
The full version of the code has been uploaded to the department's Family Health Service
website.
Written views should be sent by
email by December 31.
