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The Permanent Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Mrs Carrie Yau, today (February 13) visited the Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau (GDCIQ) and met the director, Mr Zhong Dechang, to exchange views on gate-keeping work of the two places in safeguarding food safety, including combating food supplied to Hong Kong through improper channels.
Mr Zhong said that the GDCIQ had strengthened the inspection on Lunar New Year food supplied to Hong Kong which included food animals, seasonal fruit and vegetables, fish, dried seafood, puddings and snacks.
Mrs Yau said that since the latter half of December, 2006, the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) had particularly requested the relevant district inspection and quarantine authorities, including GDCIQ, to further enhance inspection and quarantine work on food and agricultural products for supply to Hong Kong during the New Year and Lunar New Year to enable the public to share festive joy.
She briefed her Guangdong counterparts on the work of the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) in relation to the recent tests on hundreds of Lunar New Year food samples. The centre revealed last week that a turnip pudding sample, a "jinzhen" sample and a sample of dried bamboo fungus failed the tests and the CFS had subsequently asked the shop concerned to stop selling those products that failed to comply.
After assessing the latest situation of avian influenza, the Government has decided to temporarily increase the supply of Mainland live chicken imports around Lunar New Year to satisfy the additional festive demand for live chickens.
The Guangdong and Hong Kong sides would strengthen the gate-keeping role to ensure live chickens for supply to Hong Kong complied with inspection and quarantine requirements. The local traders had agreed to abide by their previous pledge of no overstocking of live chickens in the markets. In this regard, the trade had a good track record.
The Government will introduce complementary measure by advancing the Rest Day for poultry outlets to February 20 (the third day of the Lunar New Year) so cleaning can be done immediately after the festive days and reduce the risk of avian influenza.
"As a large number of live poultry and livestock are imported to Hong Kong around the Lunar New Year, both the Mainland and Hong Kong authorities have stepped up control at source. As for other festive food, both sides have also enhanced control at source by asking importers and exporters to strictly observe our safety requirements," she said.
At the meeting, Mrs Yau also outlined the preliminary concept of the proposed new legislative framework on food safety to GDCIQ, which would include registration scheme for importers to outlaw imports from improper channels.
"Since food safety is closely linked with people's daily lives, we need to draw up a new piece of legislation to regulate imported food with a view to strengthening the traceability and clarifying the food safety standards.
"We need assistance from Mainland authorities and co-operation of importers in Hong Kong to achieve this so people can consume imported food with confidence," she added.
Food safety is a high priority issue for both the Guangdong and Hong Kong sides. Looking ahead, the two sides will continue to enhance communication and co-operation to safeguard the safety of food supplying to Hong Kong.
Mrs Yau also visited the Food Testing Laboratory of the GDCIQ Technology Centre to gain a more in-depth understanding of the inspection and quarantine work of the Guangdong authorities.
Joining Mrs Yau in the visit were Principal Medical Officer, Dr Tina Mok, and Veterinary Officer, Dr Jeffrey Jai, of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
Ends/Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:29
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