Press Releases
Government strengthens protection for food safety of vegetables
The Government had been regulating food sold in Hong Kong, as empowered by the
Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, a spokesman for the Health,
Welfare and Food Bureau said today (April 16). The remarks were in response to a
local green group's call for speeding up of the introduction of a comprehensive
food safety law to regulate vegetables and fruits for safe consumption.
Since the beginning of February, the bureau had clearly and repeatedly stated
that new legislation would be introduced for food regulation, including:
* regulation of poultry eggs;
* registration of food importers and distributors; and
* mandatory recall of problematic food or food which would affect the health of
consumers.
Once the law was enacted, all imported food including vegetables must be
imported via registered importers. It would be an offence to import food via
unregistered importers.
Regarding the legislation on the use of pesticide in food, the spokesman said
the Government would, building on the Public Health and Municipal Services
Ordinance, propose a more comprehensive and clearer legislation to regulate the
standard of pesticide residues. The bureau would strive to finish the
legislative proposals in six months' time and then submit them to the
Legislative Council.
The spokesman said the bureau had started the procedure for the drafting of the
new food safety law and the relevant consultation work, with a view to
introducing the law at an early date. The legislative proposals would be put
forward for public discussion in the 2007-08 legislative session and be
submitted to the Legislative Council for scrutiny after consolidating the views
of various sectors.
The goal of the legislative work on food safety is to integrate the new and
existing legislation into one new food safety law. The spokesman emphasised that
updating the law would be an on-going process and the Government would ensure
that the new legislation could meet the changing needs.
The new law aims to bring under regulation food which has higher safety risk or
of wide public concern, including farmed aquatic products, vegetables and
fruits.
Noting that some 1,800 tonnes of vegetables were imported to Hong Kong daily,
the spokesman said the Government's top priority was to ensure food safety and
to let people enjoy fresh vegetables. Strategically, vegetables were regulated
through control at source and sample testing at import, wholesale and retail
levels, for the better protection of public health.
The Government had strengthened the co-operation with Mainland food safety
authorities since the end of last year concerning the safety of vegetables.
Enhanced measures on supervision and sealing of vegetables for supply to Hong
Kong from Mainland registered farms were launched on April 1.
The spokesman emphasised that 28,000 vegetable transportation vehicles were
inspected at Man Kam To Control Point in 2006, with 17 of them detained and 23
tonnes of problematic vegetables destroyed. Under the Public Health and
Municipal Services Ordinance, any person who sells food which is unfit for human
consumption is liable to a fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment.
The spokesman said all vegetable transportation vehicles had to follow the
instruction of Customs officers to undergo inspection. Offenders are liable to a
fine of $10,000 and six months' imprisonment.
Ends/Monday, April 16, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:31
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