“Being provided with accurate nutritional information is a basic right of consumers,” said Professor Nora Tam Fung-yee, chairwoman of the council’s research and testing committee.

“The test results clearly indicate that there is room for improvement ... and the council urges manufacturers to address the concerns promptly.”

Wyeth’s Illuma Infant Formula Milk Powder, the most expensive among brands surveyed, costing HK$539 for 850 grams, was found to have 21.9 per cent less amount of vitamin A than stated.

The amount of vitamin B3 in Meiji’s Infant Formula was also found to be 14 per cent less than indicated.

Wyeth said the issue was because of different testing methods between the manufacturer and the council. It said the watchdog used a test adopted by the European Union, which would yield a result showing less nutrients compared with its tests approved by the International Organisation for Standardisation.

Meiji said its sample complied with international standards set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), a global food standard agency.

Tam from the council said: “The discrepancy in the labelling of the milk formula’s [calories] and 33 nutrients is not that big. It should not affect the nutritional intake of infants.”

But Gilly Wong Fung-han, council chief executive, said manufacturers should nonetheless improve their quality control and review their production process to ensure accurate labelling.

The Consumer Council also found all samples surveyed to be contaminated with 3-MCPD, a substance produced during the refinement of vegetable fat under high heat.

If consumed excessively, the contaminant damages kidney functions and the male reproductive system based on test results from lab animals.

The samples were found to have 13 to 120 micrograms of 3-MCPD per kilogram of formula, but they all meet the standards of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (Jecfa), which sets the daily maximum intake of the substance at 17.2mcg/kg.

However, when consumed according to its listed directions, the milk formula with the most 3-MCPD, Organic Infant Formula from Australian brand Bellamy’s Organic, exceeds the limit set by the European Food Safety Authority.

The Post has contacted Bellamy’s Organic for comment.

Another carcinogen, glycidol, was also found in nine samples. The substance can damage a cell’s DNA and cause mutations, which may lead to cancer.

But the levels of glycidyl esters, the form in which it exists in food, ranged from 1.1 to 29mcg/kg in the samples and were well below the EU’s maximum of 50mcg/kg.

The Centre for Food Safety said Hong Kong had no laws to regulate 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in baby milk formula, but urged manufacturers to reduce the level of contaminants where practicable.

Wong also said it was up to parents on whether to stop feeding their babies milk formula.

“Although there is no regulation under the law, but couldn’t you have considered a safer alternative?” she said. “But if you don’t want to waste the milk formula that you have been using, then you should pay attention to the amount being fed and make a decision.”

She added that parents should not be too worried because Hong Kong followed the requirements of the CAC.

“This test is very meaningful to parents as well. If you are very keen to look into the nutritional composition of different brands in great detail, we have the information for you to choose from,” she said.

Tam called for the Hong Kong government to introduce regulations and measures to reduce health risks to infants.