Useful guide: Centre for Food Safety Community Medicine Consultant Dr Ho Yuk-yin says The Consumer Guide to Food Additives offers the public a quick reference.

The new food additive labelling requirements will take effect on July 10, the Centre for Food Safety says. A survey showed 81% of about 1,000 prepackaged foods from 11 supermarkets and shops have met the new requirement.

Those labels which did not meet the new requirements mainly failed to offer the functional classes or names of the food additives used. The centre has again reminded the trade of the new requirements' effective date.

The centre's Community Medicine Consultant Dr Ho Yuk-yin said the Food & Drugs (Composition & Labelling) (Amendment) Regulation 2004 set in July 2004 aims to bolster food safety and consumer interests. A three-year grace period was given then to allow the trade sufficient time to comply with new labelling requirements.

Both the names and functional classes of the additives used in a prepackaged food must be listed on the label. This follows the international trend and requires a more detailed labelling of the food additives used in prepackaged food.

"Consumers can make more suitable choices accordingly. For example, some people need to avoid certain types of food additives such as sulphites because they are allergic to them or may develop ill effects upon consuming them. By requiring a more detailed labelling of the food additives used, the regulation would protect public health," Dr Ho said.

The label can name food additives used, or the trade can list their identification numbers under the International Numbering System for Food Additives. Click here to learn more about the numbering system.