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In response to media enquiries, a spokesman for the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau said today (January 7) that the Government would continue to study carefully the views expressed by more than 20 deputations as well as the written submissions from interested parties on the proposed reorganisation of the food safety regulatory framework.
"The views are useful and constructive. Overall, there is a general support for the early setting up of the Centre for Food Safety," the spokesman said.
At a joint meeting of the Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene and Panel on Environmental Affairs yesterday (January 6), the establishment of a dedicated department and the separation of functions approach was explicitly supported by most of the interest parties in their deputations and submissions including the Hong Kong Food Council, Hong Kong Retail Management Association, the Hong Kong Doctors Union, Hong Kong College of Community Medicine, the Department of Zoology of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Paul Chan Kay-sheung of the Department of Microbiology at the Chinese University, Professor Lam Tai-hing, Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong and other university academics.
Some organisations including the Association of Hong Kong Nursing Staff and the Hong Kong Veterinary Association, urged the Administration to allow more time for the staff side and professionals to exchange views with the Administration.
In her submission, the Chairperson of the Department of Community and Family Medicine of the Chinese University, Professor Jean Woo, also agreed on the separation of functions.
Professor Woo said there was a need for improvement in the area of food safety because there were many noxious substances that might occur in foods which could affect people﷿s health in both the short and long term.
Agreed with the single body management structure to deal with food safety, Professor Woo said: "In line with many developed countries who have been alerted to health hazards from foods, and who have already set up similar agencies, the proposal is timely, and should be strongly supported."
In supporting the proposed one dedicated department with primary responsibility for food safety across the entire food chain, Professor Thomas Y K Chan of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at the Chinese University, said food safety agencies should have the resources and the staff with the necessary expertise to carry out their mandate.
"There should not be overlapping or conflicting responsibilities among food safety agencies," he said.
Professor Chan also suggested that there should be greater participation by the industry/trade, consumers, academics and experts in various scientific committees to make food regulatory measures and decisions more transparent and scientific.
In his written submission, the Chair and Head of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, felt there was merit to have a focal point of contact for consumers, which would be in line with governance with transparency.
Professor Yuen considered that there was a need to have a government department independent of the interest of the primary producers and the food trade to act as the regulator for auditing the performance of the food system through its monitoring and surveillance activities along the food chain.
"From our view, we consider that the segregation of regulatory and facilitation functions is consistent with the ﷿food chain approach﷿ to food safety and quality recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)," he said.
In its written submission the Hong Kong College of Community Medicine pledged support for the concept of "farm-to-table" approach in ensuring food safety. The college upheld that it would be beneficial to both the Government and the trade if there were different organisations with clear and distinct roles and responsibilities about regulation of food safety and facilitation of primary production.
Dr Frederick Leung of the Department of Zoology of the University of Hong Kong described the proposed idea by the administration as a step towards the right direction in its submission.
"I would like to see a cost benefit analysis, management auditing of the two departments related to food safety in particular and full consultations with all stakeholders before a more effective plan for such reorganisation can be formulated," he said.
The President of the Hong Kong Veterinary Association, Dr Veronica Leong, supported the proposal to create a new food safety department in her submission.
"For the increase of unknown hazard and food safety concern, the protection of public health and better preparedness, we would like to urge the Government to actively involve more veterinary professionals in the new proposed organisation," she said.
Ends/Saturday, January 7, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:12
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