Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 to take effect on April 1 next year
A Government spokesman said today (August 21) that the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 (Amendment Regulation) was passed by the Legislative Council by negative vetting on August 20 to strengthen the regulation of prepackaged konjac-containing jelly confectionery.
The Amendment Regulation will take effect on April 1, 2026, prohibiting the sale of mini-cup konjac-containing jelly confectionery with a height or width not exceeding 45millimetres in the market. In addition, other prepackaged konjac jelly products must be labelled with choking warning statements on their packaging to remind consumers to exercise caution during consumption.
While the Codex Alimentarius Commission considers konjac a safe food additive, the unique product design and firm texture of mini-cup konjac jellies can increase the risk of choking if consumed improperly, particularly for children and the elderly. The Government has been promoting health education messages on the prevention of food choking through various channels, including advice against directly sucking mini-cup konjac-containing jelly confectionery.
The new regulatory requirements are:
(i) Jelly confectionery that is prepackaged food and that is packed in a mini-cup-shaped container must not contain konjac if the height or width of the container does not exceed 45mm; and
(ii) The outermost layer of packaging for the sale of jelly confectionery that is prepackaged food and that contains konjac must be clearly and legibly marked with the following words in both Chinese and English -
"Caution: Do not swallow whole. Elderly and children must consume under supervision."
「注意：勿一口吞食，長者及兒童須在監護下食用。」
The above words must be marked in a conspicuous position on the packaging. They must be underlined and marked in dark colour on a light-coloured background or in light colour on a dark-coloured background; or marked in red text on a white or yellow background.
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has worked with relevant stakeholders to enhance health education on choking prevention, including issuing letters to schools, organising seminars, and sharing information on social media.
The CFS has developed a set of guidelines on the new regulatory requirements for the trade and will hold a technical meeting with the trade later to facilitate their understanding of and compliance with the new requirements.
Source: AI-found images
TD urges public and visitors to plan cross-boundary trips early during long weekend of Easter and Ching Ming Festival holidays
The Transport Department (TD) announced today (April 1) that, in anticipation of a large number of members of the public, visitors and cross-boundary vehicles visiting land-based boundary control points (BCPs) during the long weekend of Easter and Ching Ming Festival holidays, cross-boundary travellers are urged to use public transport services travelling between Hong Kong and the Mainland or Macao, plan their trips early and allow sufficient travelling time.
Enhancing services for travel convenience
The TD has been steering local and cross-boundary public transport operators (PTOs) to strengthen their services during the long weekend of Easter and Ching Ming Festival holidays to accommodate the diverse travelling needs of passengers, including:
- The MTR Corporation Limited will enhance the train services of the East Rail Line (ERL) between Admiralty and Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau Stations at different times during the above period based on passenger demand for the convenience of residents and visitors;
- Increasing the frequency of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) shuttle bus (Gold Bus) to an average of about one minute during peak hours, if needed;
- Increasing the frequency of the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus (Yellow Bus) to an average of about two minutes during peak hours, if needed;
- Increasing the quota of cross-boundary coaches to strengthen services; and
- The frequency of local franchised bus B routes connecting various land-based BCPs will also be increased to a level higher than that of normal weekends, and the operators concerned will reserve sufficient vehicles and manpower to meet passenger demand.
Travel during non-peak hours
It is anticipated that the waiting time for public transport services, including the Gold Bus and the franchised bus B routes, may be longer. Passengers are advised to travel during non-peak hours, maintain order while queuing and heed advice from on-site Police and staff of PTOs concerned. Passengers planning to take cross-boundary coaches are also advised to reserve their coach tickets in advance.
Of note, HZMB users to Zhuhai should note that the temporary link bridge connecting HZMB Zhuhai Port and Qinglu South Road has been closed to all traffic. They should use public transport services as far as possible, plan their trips early and allow sufficient travelling time. The traffic of Zhuhai Port and neighbouring roads may also be affected, and passengers should remain patient while waiting.
As for motorists of cross-boundary private cars crossing the border, they are advised that special traffic arrangements may be implemented at the Lok Ma Chau and the Shenzhen Bay Port, subject to actual traffic conditions, during the long weekend of Easter and Ching Ming Festival holidays to secure smooth access for public transport vehicles to the above BCPs. Cross-boundary private cars may experience longer waiting times for crossing the BCPs during peak periods. Motorists should pay extra attention to variable message signs and traffic signs along the roads. In case of traffic congestion, they should remain patient and follow the instructions of on-site Police.
Information dissemination
For the HZMB, to plan their journeys ahead, members of the public can make use of the TD's HKeMobility mobile app or website (hkemobility.gov.hk/en/traffic-information/live/cctv) to access snapshots of traffic conditions at inbound and outbound vehicle plazas of the HZMB Hong Kong Port. They can also check real-time situations of the vehicle clearance plaza of the Zhuhai Port through the WeChat official accounts "hzmbzhport" or "zhuhaifabu" (traffic-info.gzazhka.com:5015/#/) (Chinese only). Moreover, motorists are reminded to always comply with the traffic control measures implemented by the Zhuhai authority when driving on the HZMB Main Bridge. Vehicles must not occupy the emergency lane unless instructed by the Zhuhai authority.
The public and visitors may visit the one-stop information platform on immigration clearance "Easy Boundary" (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/bwt/status.html?type=outbound) of the Security Bureau or the HKeMobility for the latest information on various land-based BCPs more conveniently. The TD will provide information on the services and waiting times of the Gold Bus, the Yellow Bus and the MTR. Members of the public are advised to check the latest traffic news through radio and television broadcasts, the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk) and the HKeMobility.
The TD's Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre operates round the clock to closely monitor the traffic conditions and public transport services of various districts, the BCPs and major stations, and to implement contingency measures when necessary to meet service demands.
The Transport Department (TD), Photo by Bastille Post
