Press Releases
SFH calls for global efforts on food safety (with photos)
The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, today (November 27) called on
food authorities around the globe to strengthen international co-operation on
food safety.
Speaking at the High Level International Food Safety Forum in Beijing, Dr Chow
said an international common platform for an electronic health certificate
system enabling food tracing with laser precision should be constructed.
"With such a system for real time tracing, authorities can predict food issues
before they occur, and food incidents could be resolved within hours, rather
than days."
In this way, only one consignment of food could be affected, rather than the
whole trade. Only one consumer or one cluster of consumers could be affected,
rather than the whole population, he said.
Dr Chow stressed that a common format and common platform for electronic health
and food safety certification could greatly minimise economic, political and
health damages caused by food safety incidents.
He also appealed to all ministers and national food authorities to take this as
a common goal.
Organised jointly by the State General Administration of Quality Supervision,
Inspection and Quarantine, the Ministry of Health and the World Health
Organisation, the forum was attended by more than 600 delegates from health and
food authorities and organisations around the world.
Dr Chow said Hong Kong was heading towards this direction and was devising a set
of food standards and making the best use of electronic food tracing system.
"We are learning from the best international practice and are more than willing
to contribute to it in the strengthening of international co-operation."
On food safety, he said the Hong Kong Government was drawing up a new law to
manage food safety effectively.
"Under the new law, there will be a mandatory registration scheme for food
importers and distributors so that we will know who sells what."
The law will also require food importers and distributors to keep and produce
trade records on the movement of food to enable effective food tracing, in the
event of food incidents.
It will also empower the food safety authority to prohibit the import and sale
of the food items, or recall of foods if they pose serious hazards to public
health.
"These measures will help keep the community safe from harmful food," Dr Chow
said.
Robust food safety standards also play an important role, he said.
"The existing food standards on veterinary drug residues, food preservatives and
colouring matters are being reviewed, along with new standards on pesticide
residues."
Dr Chow said the goal was to ensure that there was a comprehensive and
up-to-date set of food safety standards that were in line with international
standards and suited the circumstances of Hong Kong.
Calling on consumers to exercise common sense in making food choices, Dr Chow
said new labelling laws enabling the consumer to make informed choices about
food with additives and allergen were already in place.
"Nutrients labelling is the next target to further facilitate consumer choices."
Dr Chow said maintaining foodstuff variety posed huge challenges when the
community's penchant was for fresh produce.
Dr Chow said that since 2003, Hong Kong had been free from avian influenza
outbreak despite many incidents within the Southeast Asian region.
To minimise human-avian influenza outbreak, the Government planned for a central
slaughtering plant for poultry. This, in turn, would further reduce the risk of
an avian flu outbreak.
Although the proposal has been hotly debated within the community, he said he
was confident that the community would lend its support.
"The community knows that an avian influenza outbreak causing lives simply
cannot be allowed to happen again, even at the expenses of ancient tradition."
Ends/Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:29
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