Ex-head of Hong Kong Consumer Council denies departure due to company apology

Gilly Wong says she stepped down earlier this month after suffering from two serious bouts of cold that prompted her to ‘reflect on life’

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Former chief executive of the Hong Kong Consumer Council Gilly Wong has said her decision to quit earlier this month was “absolutely unrelated” to a controvery last year involving Nongfu Spring, one of mainland China’s biggest bottled water companies. Photo: May Tse

Published: 6:59pm, 26 May 2025Updated: 7:14pm, 26 May 2025

The former head of the Hong Kong Consumer Council has denied her departure was prompted by the watchdog’s unusual backdown over its controversial verdict on a mainland Chinese brand of “natural drinking water”.

Gilly Wong Fung-han, who stepped down as chief executive of the council earlier this month at the end of her term, said she had done so after suffering from two serious bouts of cold that left her “reflecting on life” and needing to “take a rest”.

But she conceded the council had wronged Nongfu Spring, China’s leading bottled water company, when it listed the brand in an incorrect category last year after warning of high levels of bromate in one of its products.

“It has always been our policy that we should be fair and objective, open and honest, and assume accountability,” Wong said in a radio interview on Monday.

“We handled the [Nongfu Spring] case in the same manner … So, when we discovered that we made mistakes, we took a responsible step to rectify and make corrections.”

Last July, the watchdog suggested consumers avoid buying bottled water after tests on various brands, including Nongfu Spring.

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