Hong Kong — Food Contact Materials
Hong Kong received 8 RASFF border-rejection notifications in Food Contact Materials between 2023-Q4 and 2026-Q3. Volume peaked at 4 in 2023-Q4, with the trend rising sharply year-on-year. The most-cited issues are primary aromatic amines, formaldehyde, and melamine. The list below gives each of these 17 rejections by date and RASFF reference, with the country that notified it and the hazard found; 12 carry the laboratory result and 11 say what happened to the consignment.
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Key figures
If you import food contact materials from Hong Kong
- Chance a consignment is opened at the EU border
- Not on the EU's increased-checks list, so only member states' routine, risk-based checks apply (rates not published).
- If it is rejected
- Re-dispatched 50%; re-dispatched or destroyed 33%; not stated 17%. A re-dispatched lot can be sold elsewhere, a treated or sorted one can be released once it complies, and a destroyed one is lost.
- Where rejections happen
- France (3), Slovenia (2), Croatia (1), of 6 border rejections in the last 3 years.
- Riskiest months
- December, October, January, by rejections since 2020.
- Test for before shipping
- primary aromatic amines (3), corrosion (1), formaldehyde (1), melamine (1).
The EU does not publish how many consignments are shipped, so no page can state a true probability of rejection; these are the figures that are published.
Quarterly rejections, last 12 quarters
Show the numbers
| Quarter | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2023-Q4 | 4 |
| 2024-Q1 | 0 |
| 2024-Q2 | 0 |
| 2024-Q3 | 0 |
| 2024-Q4 | 1 |
| 2025-Q1 | 0 |
| 2025-Q2 | 0 |
| 2025-Q3 | 0 |
| 2025-Q4 | 0 |
| 2026-Q1 | 0 |
| 2026-Q2 | 1 |
| 2026-Q3 | 2 |
Recent rejections
- 2026.8551 Migration of primary aromatic amines in polyamide kitchen tools from Hong Kong Notified by France. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result 81,2 (limit 0,002 mg/kg - ppm). primary aromatic amines
- 2026.6482 Migration of primary aromatic amines in polyamide kitchen tools from Hong Kong Notified by France. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result 44 (limit 0,01 mg/kg - ppm). primary aromatic amines
- 2026.3500 Exceeded migration of formaldehyde and material instability from melamine tableware originating from Hong Kong Notified by Slovenia. Re-dispatched. Result 190; 160; 140 (limit 15 mg/kg - ppm). formaldehydemelamine
- 2024.7637 Corrosive knives from Hong Kong Notified by Croatia. Re-dispatched. corrosion
- 2023.8984 Migration of 4,4'-methylenedianiline in polyamide kitchen tools sets from Hong Kong Notified by France. Re-dispatched. Result 3,80 (limit 0,002 mg/kg - ppm). primary aromatic amines
- 2023.8526 Unauthorised additive wheat fibers used in polymeric materials and articles from Hong Kong via Bosnia and Herzegovina Notified by Slovenia.
- 2023.7098 Polyamide kitchen tools sets from China Notified by France. Re-dispatched. Result 2,94 (limit 0,002 mg/kg - ppm). primary aromatic amines
- 2023.6793 Polyamide kitchen tools sets from Hong Kong Notified by France. Re-dispatched. Result 4,32 (limit 0,002 mg/kg - ppm). primary aromatic amines
- 2023.5815 Polyamide kitchen tools from Hong Kong Notified by France. Re-dispatched. Result 4,97 (limit 0,002 mg/kg - ppm). primary aromatic amines
- 2023.5814 Polyamide kitchen tools from Hong Kong Notified by France. Re-dispatched. Result 4,55 (limit 0,002 mg/kg - ppm). primary aromatic amines
- 2023.1905 Polyamide kitchen tools from Hong Kong Notified by France. Result 3,35 (limit 2 µg/kg - ppb). primary aromatic amines
- 2023.1047 Sets of polyamide kitchen tools from Hong Kong Notified by France. Destroyed. Result 26,4 (limit 0,002 mg/kg - ppm). primary aromatic amines
- 2022.7223 increasing migration of formaldehyde and of melamine from melamine plates from Hong Kong Notified by Finland. formaldehydemelamine
- 2022.3829 Unauthorised use of bamboo fiber in melamine plates Notified by Malta.
- 2022.0409 Migration of primary aromatic amines (10.92 µg/kg - ppb) from polyamide raclette cheese spatulas from Hong Kong Notified by France. Destroyed. Result 10,92 (limit 0,002 mg/kg - ppm). primary aromatic amines
- 2022.0311 Unauthorised use of bamboo fiber in plastic in mugs and tumblers from Hong Kong, shipped from China Notified by Malta.
- 2021.6763 Polyamide Pfannenwender Notified by Netherlands. Result 1.051 - 1.094 - 1.082 (limit 0.01 mg/kg - ppm). primary aromatic amines
Found on the EU market: alerts and information notifications
Besides border rejections, 18 notifications since 2020 concerned food contact materials from Hong Kong found after entering the EU — 9 alerts, 9 information notifications. They are not part of the rejection figures or rates above, which measure border controls.
How they were found: official control on the market 72%, at the EU border 22%, consumer complaint or illness 6%. 9 led to a recall from consumers.
Show the numbers
| Year | Total | Alerts | Information notifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| 2024 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- 2025.8146 alertMigration of Aromatic Amines from Spoon from Hong Kong via Belgium Notified by Belgium. Official control on the market, reached the market, destroyed. Result 0,20539. primary aromatic amines
- 2025.6845 info: attentionaluminum migration in waffle plates Notified by Italy. At the EU border. Result I: 22,5 - II: 39,1 - III: 35,3 (limit 1 mg/kg - ppm). aluminium
- 2025.6456 info: follow-upBaking pan coating not compliant Notified by Austria. Official control on the market, reached the market. not in catalogue
- 2025.2377 alertPrimary aromatic amines in nylon turner from Hong Kong Notified by France. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 7,13 (limit 2 µg/kg - ppb). primary aromatic amines
- 2025.1783 info: attentionGlobal Migration and technological inadequacy in multipurpose baskets from Hong kong Notified by Italy. At the EU border, not on the market. Result colorazione rosa del simulante. migration overallunfit for use as food contact material
- 2024.9337 info: follow-upIron in pan from Hong Kong via Netherland Notified by France. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 59,1 (limit 40 mg/kg - ppm). iron
- 2024.6935 alertMigration of 4,4'-Diaminodiphenylmethan (4,4'-MDA) from potato masher from Hong Kong Notified by Austria. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 1040 ± 260. primary aromatic amines
- 2024.3263 info: attentionFormaldehyde migration from bamboo cutting boards from Hong Kong Notified by Italy. At the EU border, not on the market. Result 92. formaldehyde
- 2023.8577 info: attentionDEHP in paper straws from Hong Kong Notified by France. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 131,6. phthalate DEHP - di(2-ethylhexyl)
- 2023.5373 info: attentionprzekroczenie najwyzszego dopuszczalnego poziomu pierwszorzędnych amin aromatycznych w łyżce kuchennej// migration of primary aromatic amines from a cooking spoon Notified by Poland. Official control on the market, reached the market.
Data and downloads
Download all 35 entries (CSV) — every notification behind this page, border rejections and those found on the market, with how each was found and what was done.
The file holds entries up to 2026-09-28. To get new ones for Hong Kong by email, watch Hong Kong.