Press Releases

Government drafts new law to better protect food safety

A spokesman for the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau said today (April 12) that the Government was drafting a comprehensive food safety law to gradually regulate food items which have a higher food safety risk or of wide public concern with priority given to farmed aquatic produce, vegetables and fruits.

The remarks were made in response to demands of local green groups, vegetable traders and legislators for enhancing the safety of vegetables and fruits supplied to Hong Kong for consumption.

The spokesman pointed out that in view of the wide varieties of food imports to Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) would formulate regulatory measures on food according to their safety risks.

In the case of vegetables, the whole process from production, transportation to distribution is closely monitored by the concerned authorities from the Mainland and Hong Kong to ensure safety.

According to the agreement between the Mainland and Hong Kong, all vegetables supplied by the Mainland must come from some 190 registered farms and purchasing stations located at different provinces.

Consignments of vegetables can only be exported to Hong Kong after examination by the relevant Mainland entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureaux. Vehicles transporting the vegetables, which should be accompanied by monitoring card and pesticide declaration certificate issued by the Mainland authorities, are required to enter Hong Kong through Man Kam To checkpoint. The CFS would also take samples for testing at the import, wholesale and retail levels.

The CFS has been working closely with other law enforcement agencies. Among the 28 000 vegetable transportation vehicles being inspected at Man Kam To checkpoint in 2006, 17 of them were detained. A total of 23 tonnes of problematic vegetables were destroyed.

To further enhance the safety of vegetables supplied to Hong Kong, the Mainland inspection and quarantine authorities have implemented a new inspection system since April 1.

Under the new system, vegetables from farms and purchasing stations not meeting the necessary requirements are not allowed to export vegetables to Hong Kong.

Moreover, packaging for transport and sale of vegetables supplied to Hong Kong should be marked with the name and address of the planting farms, registration number, product name and manufacturing date.

Mainland inspection and quarantine authorities will supervise, mark the packaging process and seal the consignments for transporting to Hong Kong.

At present, the new measure is applicable to leafy vegetables, to be extended to other non-leafy vegetables a few months later. This is meant to tackle more effectively the problem of mixing vegetables from unknown sources with those coming from proper channels in the course of transportation and better combat unscrupulous practices by individual traders.

The spokesman stressed that the food safety bill now being drafted would help strengthen the management of every part in the whole food supply chain through a new regulatory approach, including imposing a registration scheme on food importers and distributors.

"Accompanied by other regulatory measures such as mandatory recall of problematic food and the requirement of health certificates for the import of certain food items, the new law can provide a more comprehensive food safety regime for imported food.

"Besides, the Government encourages local vegetable traders to keep proper sales record to assist the authorities to trace sources when needed," the spokesman said.

The spokesman said the new legislation would be drafted in a way that would enable the Administration to place food items which needed regulation, including vegetables, under the ambit of the new law in the swiftest way in accordance with changes in environment and needs.

He added that prior to the implementation of the new law, the Government would introduce a voluntary registration system to encourage the trade to become registered importers so that they could make early adjustment to the overall regulatory regime.

The spokesman said the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau had indicated to the Legislative Council's Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene in February that new legislative proposals would be put forward for public discussion in the next legislative session and be submitted to the Council for scrutiny after consolidating the views of various sectors.



Ends/Thursday, April 12, 2007
Issued at HKT 13:40

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