The Hong Kong SAR Government yesterday (July 18) gazetted the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 to strengthen the regulation of konjac jelly products. Mini-cup konjac jellies with a height or diameter not exceeding 45 millimeters will be prohibited from sale in the market. In contrast, other konjac jelly products must display warning statements about choking prevention on their packaging to remind the public to consume them with caution.
The amended regulation will be submitted to the Legislative Council (LegCo) on July 23 of this month for the negative vetting procedure. The new requirements concerning prepackaged konjac jellies will come into effect on April 1 next year.
The amended regulation stipulates that prepackaged food jellies packaged in mini-cup containers with a height or diameter not exceeding 45 millimeters must not contain konjac. Furthermore, for prepackaged food jellies containing konjac, the outermost layer of their sales packaging must clearly and legibly display in both Chinese and English the following warning: "WARNING: Do not swallow whole. The elderly and children must consume under supervision."
The warning must be prominently displayed on the packaging, printed in dark-colored characters on a light-colored background or light-colored characters on a dark-colored background, with the text underlined. Alternatively, it may be printed in red characters on a white or yellow background.
Dr. Cheung Yung-yan, Consultant (Community Medicine) (Risk Assessment and Communication) of the Centre for Food Safety, stated at yesterday's press conference that the Codex Alimentarius Commission explains that while konjac is a safe food additive, the unique product design and firm texture of mini-cup konjac jellies may increase the risk of choking if consumed improperly, posing particular dangers to children and the elderly.
"Besides their firm texture, the consumption method of mini-cup konjac jellies is also a consideration. Since they need to be squeezed or pressed out, the force applied may cause the jelly to slide to the back of the throat, leading to a choking hazard," he said.
He noted that there have been cases in Hong Kong and Japan where people choked to death while consuming mini-cup konjac jellies.
Konjac jellies' smooth texture easily blocks airways
Ms. Chow Suk-man, Scientific Officer of the Centre for Food Safety, added that konjac jellies are smooth, making it difficult to control their direction, position, and timing during consumption. They can easily slide along the tongue to the back of the mouth or descend into the throat without being chewed, potentially blocking the airways.
She mentioned that the SAR Government had consulted the relevant LegCo panels, the Expert Committee on Food Safety, and the industry regarding the proposed amendments. A market survey conducted between December last year and January this year found that 8% (9 out of 112 samples) would be banned from sale for failing to comply with the new requirements. However, these products could adjust their packaging size to meet the new standards. Additionally, over half of the products already carried warnings on their packaging, suggesting that the impact of the new regulation on the industry would be minimal.
The SAR Government has been promoting health education messages on preventing food choking through various channels, including advising against directly sucking mini-cup konjac jellies. The Centre for Food Safety previously collaborated with the Education Bureau to send letters to schools, recommending that school tuck shops and canteens stop selling such mini-cup konjac jellies. Most schools responded that they had already ceased providing these products.
The Centre for Food Safety will continue to enhance health education on choking prevention, including organizing talks and disseminating related information on social media. It will also arrange technical meetings with the industry and issue usage guidelines to help the industry understand and comply with the new requirements.
Regarding the 45-millimeter threshold for banning konjac jellies, Dr. Cheung explained that this standard was based on practices in Australia and Malaysia. He noted that konjac jellies in small cups, small-opening packaging, or larger sizes present a relatively lower choking risk.
As for the six-month implementation period after the completion of the negative vetting procedure for the amended regulation, Dr. Cheung stated that during consultations with the industry, it was observed that they needed time to modify packaging labels and clear existing stock. Therefore, a period of approximately six months was deemed appropriate.
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalist: Zero Wong; English Editor: Darius)
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