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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Inspectors of the two Municipal Councils should use the Code of Practice as a basis for inspecting the raw food premises. They should also increase the frequency of inspection so that the sale of raw food products will conform to the standard stipulated in the Code of Practice. Third, Health Inspectors of the Department of Health should also sample sushi and sashimi more frequently so as to ensure that these food products will always be up to the hygiene standard. The public health can hence be protected properly.
In the long run, however, it seems insufficient if there is only the Code of Practice. We should complete the legislation process and enact legislation as soon as possible so that sushi and sashimi will be subject to appropriate legislative control. At the same time, the standard for licensing and the criteria for penalties should be formulated for operators to fully comply with so that the public health can be protected appropriately. At present, the two Municipal Councils can be the licensing authorities, and Health Inspectors of the two municipal councils can inspect the raw food premises selling sushi and sashimi in accordance with the licensing requirements and criteria. I believe that when the public consume these food products, they can be at ease and have their health protected. Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion.
MR. CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese): Any Member who would like to speak on the motion? The original mover, Ms. Jennifer CHOW, can exercise her right of reply.
Ms. Jennifer Chow Kit-bing (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, colleagues, Japanese style sushi and sashimi undoubtedly have gradually gained popularity and become a fashion in Hong Kong. These types of food are basically raw food and as Mr. Lai has said, these food are very different from the Chinese traditional ones. It is a new food fad, for which we should adopt corresponding measures to protect public health. This is something that should be dealt with urgently. As pointed out by several Councillors who have just spoken, legislative amendment takes time. Summer is just around the corner, in which the breeding of bacteria is rampant. It is therefore of great urgency that we should come up with short term contingency and monitoring measures. Only by doing so can we offer overall protection for public health before the long term legislative amendments come into operation. That being so, I really hope that Councillors will support my motion. Apart from offering comment and assistance for the long term legislative amendments, Members should also urge the Government to come up promptly with short term measures that will have immediate effect. For instance, we should step up inspection, work out guidelines for inspection and promote education on food hygiene immediately and so on. The health of the public can therefore be protected in this summer. These are my remarks.
The question was put.
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