Children account for a third of non-food ingestion cases as candy-like packaging raises concern

Hong Kong’s public hospitals recorded 623 cases of people seeking medical treatment after accidentally ingesting non-food items over the past three years, with children accounting for about one-third of the total, the government said.

The figures were revealed on Wednesday in response to questions from lawmaker Scott Leung Man-kwong, following a recent case in which a primary school student was hospitalized after consuming bath salts packaged like candy.

According to the Hospital Authority’s Hong Kong Poison Control Centre, the 623 cases were recorded between 2023 and 2025, including 211 involving children under the age of 12.

The government said some products lack clear Chinese labels, posing ingestion risks to young children, especially when packaging resembles food or candy.

The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau stressed that suppliers must ensure their products comply with safety laws, regardless of the sales channel or packaging design.

Under the Consumer Goods Safety Regulation, safety warnings or cautions on product packaging must be clearly legible and presented in both English and Chinese.

To enforce safety standards, the Customs and Excise Department conducted 5,546 inspections and launched 151 investigations over the past three years.

Thirteen cases resulted in the prosecution and conviction of one individual and 10 companies, with court fines ranging from HK$4,000 to HK$32,000.

Meanwhile, the Education Bureau said it continues to work with government departments and non-governmental organizations to enhance safety awareness in schools.

The Department of Health has also stepped up public education on injury prevention, including through a home safety guide launched in 2019 to help prevent domestic accidents.

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