A proposed nutrition information labeling scheme would have significant benefits to Hong Kong in terms of improved health and a reduction in associated health costs and productivity losses, generating more than $200 million in economic savings a year.

A regulatory impact assessment revealed that, combined with an education programme and corresponding changes in consumer behaviour, the scheme would have a net economic benefit to Hong Kong. The costs imposed on the food sector are unlikely to exceed $40 million, only 0.2% of total household spending on pre-packaged food products.

The Health, Welfare & Food Bureau said the proposed scheme aims to help consumers make healthy food choices and encourage food manufacturers to adopt sound nutrition principles when making foods which would benefit public health. It also helps regulate misleading or deceptive labels and nutrition information claims.

Proposal strikes right balance

The suggested scheme would be implemented in two phases:

* Phase I - labelling of prepackaged food with nutrient-related claims including energy (calories) and five nutrients: protein, carbohydrate, total fat, saturated fat and sodium. There will be a two-year grace period before the introduction of this phase.

* Phase II - mandatory nutrition labelling of all prepackaged food, except those exempted, with four more nutrients - cholesterol, sugars, dietary fibre and calcium - as well as any nutrient for which a claim is made. This phase would be in place two years after the introduction of Phase I.

The bureau said the proposal has struck the right balance between achieving long-term public health objectives and helping the trade adapt to the changes in the short run.

Legislative amendments will be tabled to the Legislative Council next year. Discussions with the trade and the professional sector over the implementation issues, such as developing guidelines for nutrient testing and setting up local nutrient reference values, as well as public education, will continue.