On 14 March, the State Administration for Market Regulation released Administrative Provisions on Food Labelling. These provisions will enter into force on 16 March 2027 and cover the labelling and marking of food and food additives produced and marketed within the country, as well as their supervision and management. Food labels shall not carry marks relating to disease prevention or therapeutic functions or make descriptions that are deceptive, misleading, exaggerated or otherwise false. They shall not go against scientific common sense, violate public order and good morals, promote feudal superstitions, or claim to be for “special supply”, “exclusive supply” or “internal supply” to party or government organs or military units. In addition, the administrative provisions list general labelling rules for prepackaged food, labelling rules for special foods and labelling requirements for food marketing. These include specifications for label text formats and the display of information on the date of manufacture, the best before date, and the name and address of the manufacturer, as well as stipulations concerning online food trading and special food marketing.

Administrative Provisions for Supervising Food Production and Business Operation Enterprises in their Implementation of Primary Responsibility for Food Safety, recently released by the State Administration for Market Regulation, entered into force on 15 April. The new rules optimise the food safety system and fine-tune supervisory requirements. Specific measures include solidifying the Risk Management and Control Checklist for Food Safety into an institutional document, and allowing food enterprises to organically combine the implementation of “daily management and control, weekly inspection and monthly rescheduling” with their established working systems and mechanisms. The provisions require the post of food safety director to be filled by a management-level member of staff and outline specifications for random inspections and evaluations. Meanwhile, 50 national food safety standards and nine amendment sheets were recently published by the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation in relation to items including dietary supplements for infants and toddlers, food nutrition enhancers and food microbiological tests.

President Trump has issued an executive order aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the U.S. seafood sector by addressing unfair trade practices, eliminating unsafe imports, levelling the “unfair playing field that has benefited foreign fishing companies”, promoting ethical sourcing, reducing regulatory burdens and ensuring the integrity of the seafood supply chain.

Yindii has launched a platform rescuing unsold food in Hong Kong in 2023. By connecting F&B outlets with consumers through discounted surplus sales, Yindii cuts waste, costs, and emissions. HKTDC Research interviewed Yindii’s Country Manager, Agnes Lee, to explore how this model reduces food waste at its source and promotes sustainability in a high-density market like Hong Kong.