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The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) and the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (July 13) launched a public consultation on the proposed refined regulatory framework for pesticide residues in food. The consultation exercise will last for about two months until September 19.
A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said, "To better protect public health, facilitate effective regulatory control of pesticide residues in food and promote harmonisation between local and international standards, the Government proposes to introduce a Regulation on Pesticide Residues in Food under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) to provide specific legal provisions to regulate the level of pesticide residues in food. In striving to achieve the above objectives, the Government is mindful of the need to maintain stable supply of food in Hong Kong."
At present, while there are general provisions under Cap. 132 that all food on sale for human consumption must be wholesome, unadulterated and fit for human consumption, there is no specific legal provision that regulates the level of pesticide residues in food.
"Most of the developed countries have already introduced statutory control on pesticide resides in food. Hence there is a genuine need to introduce specific legal provision to regulate pesticide residues in food in Hong Kong," the spokesman said.
The consultation document sets out the proposed refined regulatory framework, which is summarised as follows:
* Defining "pesticide" and other related terms in a way consistent with the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), the international food standard setting authority, adopting Codex's classification of foods, and formulating standards suitable for Hong Kong based on the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of Codex;
* Prohibiting the import and sale of the concerned food for which no MRL/extraneous maximum residue limit (EMRL) has been specified, unless the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene is satisfied that the detected level will not be dangerous or prejudicial to health;
* Providing a list of exempted substances to allow the trade to use pesticides that are natural and for which the residues are identical to or indistinguishable from natural food components; and
* Commencing the proposed Regulation after a two-year grace period.
"We have conducted 14 briefings and consultation sessions for the stakeholders since January 2011. After listening to the views from different parties, we came up with the refined regulatory framework in the consultation document. The refined regulatory framework has received general support from the trade. We hope to collect views from the public and different sectors in the coming two months. The Government will take the views received into consideration before finalising the proposed Regulation. We plan to table the proposed Regulation at the Legislative Council toward the end of 2011," the spokesman said.
The consultation document has been uploaded to the FHB website (www.fhb.gov.hk) and the CFS website (www.cfs.gov.hk). It can also be obtained from the following locations:
* CFS Communication Resource Unit, 8/F, Fa Yuen Street Municipal Services Building, 123A Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon;
* District Environmental Hygiene Offices of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department; and
* District Offices of the Home Affairs Department.
"Three public consultation forums will be held for members of the public to express their views. In addition, the Government will arrange separate briefings for relevant stakeholders," the spokesman said.
Details of the forums are as follows:
Date: July 28
Time: 10am to noon
Venue: Hall, 2/F, Lai Chi Kok Government Offices, 19 Lai Wan Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon
Date: August 20
Time: 10am to noon
Venue: Lecture Theatre, Hong Kong Central Library, 66, Causeway Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Date: August 30
Time: 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Venue: Lecture Hall, 1/F, Hong Kong Science Museum, 2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Members of the public who are interested to attend may call 2381 6096 during office hours for seat reservation.
Written views and comments should be sent to the CFS of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department on or before September 19: by post to 43/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong (Attn: Consultation on Pesticide Residues in Food); by fax to 2893 3547; or by email to pesticide_consultation@fehd.gov.hk. Enquiries can be made on 2867 5699.
Ends/Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Issued at HKT 16:14
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