Practice Guidelines

The Hong Kong Health Food Association is committed to

Improve Public Health and Help Reduce Health Care Cost

  • Cooperate with other public and private organizations that share the goal of improving public health.
  • Promote the proper intake of health food as a healthy lifestyle that helps to maintain good health and thus, reduces health care expenditures.
  • Work with public and private institutions in health food research and public health education.
  • Strive, through words and actions, to play a leadership role in the industry.
  • Initiate actions that will improve the regulatory climate, the reputation of the industry, and consumer confidence in the industry and its products.
  • Initiate appropriate corrective action in situations that will lead to a decrease in consumer confidence or overreaching regulations.
  • Encourage members to be responsible in providing proper product information to customers.

Members of the Hong Kong Health Food Association are committed to

Comply with Applicable Laws and Regulations

  • Abide by all applicable laws and regulations relating to the sales, promotion, and distributing of health food products but seek to change those laws and regulations that are inconsistent with the best interests of the public.

Responsible Advertising

  • Avoid any statements that may lead consumers to forgo appropriate medical consultation.
  • Avoid making false, misleading, or exaggerated claims.
  • Adhere to local regulation in advertising and product labeling.
  • Represent the findings of scientific, consumer, or other studies to the public in a truthful and accurate manner.

Product Safety

  • Recognize a responsibility to assure health food products are safe for human consumption.
  • Recognize a responsibility to recommend appropriate usage instructions, dosage, and storage conditions; label warning statements for pregnant or lactating women and children, and other precaution statements if necessary.

Product Quality

  • Ensure that health food products must contain the amounts of ingredients as listed on the product label.
  • Package, store, and distribute products in manners that can preserve the integrity of the product and its ingredients.
  • Ensure that the raw materials for manufacture match the specifications prescribed, and that the manufacture process is of recognized good manufacture practice.
  • Initiate immediate remedial action (product recall if essential) when significant errors in product formulation, production, or labeling are found to have occurred.

Good Business Practices

  • Provide consumers with carefully formulated product that is accurately labeled and honestly advertised.
  • Provide consumers with the information they need to enable them to make better and more informed choices in the marketplace.
  • Recognize an obligation to promptly investigate and resolve consumer complaints.
  • Do not falsely disparage competitors or competitors’ products.
  • Value the cooperation of all segments of the health food industry and do not falsely denigrate the quality of health food supply.