Pre-Statutory Voluntary Registration Scheme for Poultry Egg Importers / Distributors

Following the detection of Sudan dye in hen eggs and salted duck eggs, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) have reached the following consensus to step up the control of export of poultry eggs to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) :

1. The AQSIQ would implement a listing regime for egg farms. An updated list of farms and their associated processing companies, both registered and listed, was uploaded onto the AQSIQ website on 30 December 2006;
2. Each relevant Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau would carry out samplings and testing for Sudan dye in poultry eggs for export. Consignments would only be permitted for export on receipt of satisfactory analysis results;
3. Control on batch number and identification for exported poultry eggs would be strengthened as from January 2007. Name, address and hygiene registration code of the processing plant; name, address and list number of the farm; date of production and batch number must be listed on export egg consignments; and
4. Health certificates showing the information of the processing plant and the farm as well as date of production and batch number of the products would be issued for each consignment of eggs and egg products exported to the HKSAR as from January 2007.

The HKSAR Government will expedite the legislation process in tightening control of poultry egg import, including proposals such as registration of egg importers, prior permission and requirement of health certificates for egg imports.

Meanwhile, the CFS has implemented the following measures:

The voluntary registration scheme is the first step towards improving the regulation of poultry egg import. Importers / distributors of poultry eggs from the Mainland as well as other countries should register with the CFS as soon as possible and submit relevant information. The information collected would help us in establishing a regulatory framework for poultry egg imports. Egg importers / distributors should complete the application form and return it to the CFS as soon as possible.

If you have any enquiries about the Pre-Statutory Voluntary Registration Scheme or the registration method, you may contact us through the following channels –

The application forms and the monthly records can be downloaded from the following hyperlinks:

The Government has launched the e-Form project to provide the public with greater convenience to make electronic submissions to the Government. Apart from downloading conventional forms and submitting them in paper forms, you may now choose to download the electronic form which facilitates you to fill-in and submit forms to Government electronically. To use e-Form, please download the e-Form programe and to obtain more information about e-Form.

" List of registered egg importers " and " List of registered egg distributors " can be downloaded from the CFS website.

State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (List of registered egg farms and poultry egg processing plants) (Chinese version only)