Press Releases
Mainland and HK team up to enhance safety of food for supply to HK
Consensus on the arrangements for ensuring safety of egg products and live fish
for supply to Hong Kong was reached between authorities of the Hong Kong SAR
Government and the Mainland at a meeting today (November 28) in Beijing.
The Permanent Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Mrs Carrie Yau, and the
Controller of the Centre for Food Safety (CFS), Dr Mak Sin-ping, today met with
the Director General of the Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine, Mr Yu
Taiwei; and Director of the Import and Export Food Security Bureau, Mr Li
Yuanping, of the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection
and Quarantine (AQSIQ).
Speaking after the meeting, Mrs Yau and Mr Li noted that the public has shown
great concern about the regulation of eggs since some eggs samples in the
Mainland and Hong Kong were found to contain Sudan dyes. The AQSIQ also attached
great importance to the incident.
After discussion, the two sides decided to put in place a series of enhancement
measures.
Mrs Yau said: "We welcome the decision of the AQSIQ. The measures facilitate the
trade to import eggs from channels of quality assurance and help enforcement
agencies trace the source of eggs more effectively.
"That eggs for supply to Hong Kong should be accompanied with health
certificates was a constructive arrangement. Hong Kong consumes about 4 million
eggs daily and imports about 1.7 billion eggs yearly. Yet, some eggs enter into
the Hong Kong market via other channels.
"We need to introduce further regulation to cope with the implementation of the
new measures so that every chain in the system can be monitored."
On fish for supply to Hong Kong, both sides reviewed the actions taken following
the founding of a trace amount of prohibited substance in products from
individual Mainland-registered freshwater fish farms for supply to Hong Kong.
The two places felt the existing system of registered freshwater fish farms for
supply to Hong Kong had effectively safeguarded the safety of freshwater fish
for supply to Hong Kong.
"The two places immediately follow up upon receipt of the test results. The
relevant authorities in Guangdong initiated immediate investigations into the
fish farms," Mrs Yau said.
The AQSIQ pledged to continue to support the work of Hong Kong, including
requiring Guangdong, Shenzhen and Zhuhai bureaus to conduct full inspection of
all freshwater fish farms for supply to Hong Kong to ensure the farms comply
with the requirements, and enhance combating fish products not from registered
farms coming to Hong Kong, Mrs Yau said.
Both sides agreed to further study the mechanism for handling freshwater fish
coming into the Hong Kong market from improper channels.
Concluding the visit to Beijing, Mrs Yau said: "Safeguarding food safety is the
top priority of the Mainland and HKSAR Government. We will continue to cooperate
closely with the AQSIQ to strengthen the management work of food safety."
Mrs Yau appealed to the trade to procure products from manufacturers and
exporters complying with the requirements of the Mainland authorities.
Ends/Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:02
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