EC Raises Concerns over Chinese FCM Exports

Experts from the European Commission (EC) have raised concerns over Hong Kong’s lack of scrutiny of food contact materials (FCMs) exported to the European Union.

A team from the Food and Veterinary Office in Brussels found that there are no legal requirements for inspections of FCMs manufactured in Hong Kong or mainland China.

The team said it was assured by “two competent bodies” that the vast majority of FCMs manufactured in mainland China and exported to the EU by Hong Kong traders is directly shipped from China without passing through Hong Kong.

The competent authorities (CA) responsible for FCMs marketed in Hong Kong are the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Customs and Excise Department.

While the territory’s exporters association said that no FCMs manufactured in Hong Kong were exported to the EU, the European inspectors noted that no “written evidence to confirm this statement was provided to the mission team by the CAs”.