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The Health, Welfare and Food Bureau learned that the Guangdong Food Safety Committee released a report on the safety and quality of food in the province today (January 31).
The relevant news information had been provided to the bureau, a bureau spokesman said.
In response to media enquiries, the spokesman said: "We understand that the testing of food samples mentioned in the report do not include food supplying Hong Kong. The State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and its Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureaux are responsible for monitoring food supplying Hong Kong. The authorities would ensure the safety of the food before exporting to Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) had recently tested samples of festive food for the Lunar New Year including puddings, glutinous rice balls, melon seeds, preserved meat, dried seafood and vegetarian foods. The CFS announced the results earlier this month. Only a turnip pudding sample and a "jinzhen" sample failed to meet compliance among the 119 food samples tested. The remaining samples were all satisfactory. The CFS would continue to take samples of other popular festive food for the Lunar New Year for testing.
The spokesman said the Administration would continue to join with the relevant authorities in the Guangdong Province, including the Guangdong Food and Drug Administration and the Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, to enhance co-operation and exchange in various aspects so as to further ensure the food safety in both places.
The bureau and the Guangdong Food and Drug Administration had established a mechanism in 2006 through which the two places notified each other and exchanged information on significant food safety policies, food survey results and major food safety incidents.
Ends/Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:17
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