For customers of supermarket chains, the new nutrition labelling regulation brings good news and bad news.
On one hand, they may be able to pick up some bargains before July 1; on the other, products are likely to cost more after the enforcement date.
Products that cannot comply with the new regulation may end up in clearance sales before that date, but the cost of labelling the others is likely to be passed on to the consumer.
Diane Chiu Man, marketing director of the Wellcome supermarket chain, said there were plans for a clearance sale of non-complying products.
'These products are actually safe to consume,' she said. 'It's just that the suppliers were unwilling to change their packaging or add labels for the Hong Kong market.'
Chiu said Wellcome had stopped buying from these suppliers and big discounts would be offered to clear the stock before the July 1 deadline. All such products, such as biscuits, candies and snacks, were manufactured overseas.
The exact number of such products could only be determined as the deadline drew closer, she said.