HKCTC Seminar on CEPA for Testing and Certification Industry

The Seminar on CEPA for Testing and Certification Industry was co-organized by the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification (HKCTC), Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS), Trade and Industry Department (TID) and Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) on 28 Feburary 2013. Since Supplement VII to the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), the Mainland has been gradually opening up its market to Hong Kong testing laboratories. Supplement IX to CEPA was signed in June 2012. It expands, on a pilot basis in Guangdong Province, the scope of certification services that can be undertaken by Hong Kong testing laboratories to cover food. This new liberalization measure reflects wider acceptance of Hong Kong's testing results in the Mainland China. The seminar aimed to update the industry on the CEPA measure's implementation details as well as the food-related certification industry profile in Guangdong Province. I would like to summarize the seminar below for sharing.

In the beginning, Prof. CHING Pak-chung (Chairman, HKCTC) gave an welcoming remarks. He expected Hong Kong testing industry provided more services to Mainland China.

Then Mr. HUANG Shouyuan (黃首云副主任, 國際合作部, 國家認證認可監督管理委員會, Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA)) gave a welcoming speech. CEPA IX had a new liberalization measure on a pilot basis in Guangdong Province which scope included agricultural product and food.

Group photo

The first speaker was Mr. WANG Maohua (王茂華副處長, 註冊管理部, 國家認證認可監督管理委員會, CNCA) and his topic entitled “Implementation Guideline on Hong Kong and Macau Testing Organization for providing test services on Food-related Certification Industry in Mainland”. Mr. Wang introduced Food Certification System in Mainland, CEPA IX implementation program and other information acquisition.

Mr. Wang said there were several certification systems for food-related product in Mainland, included HACCP, GAP, Organic Food Certification, etc. The certification scope was from original source to restaurant. It had issued 102527 food-related certificates until the end of 2012. The following diagram showed different departments worked together for the certification system. (In Chinese term, 統一管理、共同實施)

Then Mr. Wang briefed the CEPA IX scope and requirement. CEPA IX was extended the testing scope to food-related product in Guangdong Province, those test products were produced in Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong. Certification types included but not limited to Organic Food Certification, GMP, FSMS (ISO 22000), HACCP, etc. All laboratories in Hong Kong or Macau should accredited by HKAS and cooperated with qualified certification bodies (CB) in Mainland (e.g. CQC) as subcontractor; and then CB informed to CNCA for record. After that CNCA would publish into the testing organization list and inform Administration of Quality and Technology Supervision of Guangdong Province (廣東省質量技術監督局).

Finally, Mr. Wang identified some problems such as society concern increasing, consumer trust reducing, out of control in the market and traceability problems were observed. He encouraged testing organization in Hong Kong and Macau joined to Food related testing industry in Guangdong Province.


The second speaker was Mr. YOU Anjun (游安君處長, 中國質量認證中心, China Quality Certification Center (CQC)) and his presentation was “Certification Requirement on Agricultural Product in China”.

Mr. You said certification body on FSMS could use the following three methods for sampling.
1. Subcontract to competent testing organization; or
2. On-site auditor used the applicant’s testing facilities to complete the audit; or
3. On-site auditor verified the other testing organization’s results to complete the audit

Then he introduced the HACCP certification system. The subcontracted testing organization should fulfill the requirements of GB/T 27025 and GB/T 15481 (proficiency test). The follow-up investigation should be not less than 5%. (These requirements were established after the Melamine in Milk Scandal.)

For agricultural product, it needed to get Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification. The certification required to sample products for Pesticide Residues Test through the accredited laboratory (with GB/T 27025 accreditation).

The Third speaker was Mr. ZHANG Li (張黎先生, 技術主管, 方圓標誌認證中心, China Certification Center for Quality Mark (CQM)) and his presentation named “Testing Activities of Mainland Organic Food-related Certification”.

Mr. Zhang mentioned the Organic Food-related Certification would test any prohibit materials based on GB/T 19630.1/4.5.6 – 2011. It also followed the regulation on the implementation of organic product certification (CNCA-N-009:2001). The certification included different environmental testing. Some standards were mentioned such as GB 15618, GB 5084, GB/T 19630.1/5/3-2011, CNCA-N-009:2011, etc.

The last speaker was Mr. WONG Wang-wah (Executive Administrator, Hong Kong Accreditation Service) and his presentation topic named “Food Testing Service Accredited by Hong Kong Accreditation Service in Hong Kong”.

Mr. Wong briefed the history of HKAS and introduced different schemes and service under ITC.

The qualification procedures for Hong Kong Laboratory acquisition of the testing service provider to Food-related Certification in Mainland was also mention below. Details had stated in HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No. 49 Accreditation Requirements for Undertaking Testing Services for Specified Mainland Food Related Certification (HOKLAS SC-49 / SC-49C). Under this scheme, the test report should be written in Simplified Chinese. Finally, Mr. Wong introduced some accredited tests in Food and Environment.

The Q&A session
Speaker said the testing market became bigger and bigger which caused competition and management need.

Reference:
HKCTC - http://www.hkctc.gov.hk/en/about.html
HKAS - http://www.itc.gov.hk/en/quality/hkas/about.htm
HKTID - http://www.tid.gov.hk/eindex.html
HKPC - http://www.hkpc.org/
CEPA - http://www.tid.gov.hk/english/cepa/index.html