GAIN Reports from February 25, 2022

The following GAIN reports were released on February 25, 2022. _______   Hong Kong: Hong Kong Moves to Amend Legislation to Include CBD as a Dangerous Drug  In the past, the eligibility of food and non-food products containing cannabidiol (CBD) in the Hong Kong market has been ambiguous. The Hong Kong government now is prepared to remove this ambiguity by moving forward with a legislative amendment to control CBD under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. In addition, as Hong Kong maintains a zero-tolerance policy for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the government has pledged that, it will continue to test CBD products in the market and seize products found to contain THC.   Netherlands: Nutri-Score Labeling Takes Hold in the Netherlands In 2019, the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport announced a new nutrition labeling scheme for the Netherlands. Nutri-Score, an invention commissioned by French public health agency Santé Publique, would become the new voluntary front-of-pack nutrition label of choice in the Netherlands. The label's introduction, however, faced delays as criticism sparked. Some Dutch scientists argued that Nutri-Score ratings do not always align with national dietary guidelines, that the label can be misleading, and that it can undermine consumer trust. To address the criticism, a scientific committee was set up by the Netherlands and seven European countries (that were using or implementing Nutri-Score). The Committee's mandate is to research possibilities for improving Nutri-Score's alignment with national dietary guidelines. While this work continues, several Dutch food producers and supermarket chains have already started voluntarily using Nutri-Score on their own initiative.   Thailand: Rice Price - Weekly Rice export prices increased 1-4 percent due to the strengthening of the Thai baht.   United Arab Emirates: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE (GCC-4) permit the importation of GE food products of plant origin. GCC-4 countries have established several technical regulations that require labeling for both raw and further processed food and feed that may contain GE plant products. Importation and domestic production of GE animals and related products are not permitted in the GCC-4.   For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. This email was sent to stevenmagallanes520.nims@blogger.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service · 1400 Independence Avenue, SW · Washington, DC 20250