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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
present. In accordance with Standing Order 21(2), I ask his proxy to speak on his behalf. Will Mr. Kam Nai-wai move the motion and speak on his behalf?
(5) Mr. KAM Nai-wai on behalf of Mr. CHAN Kwok-leung moved the following motion:-
'Siu Mei is a traditional Chinese food, however, regarding the hygienic condition of handling Siu Mei, there is still room for improvement. RESOLVED that the Council should strengthen inspection of the hygienic condition of Siu Mei shops and educate Siu Mei shop employees about general food hygiene; also, the Department should review the existing legislation with a view to enhancing control over the display and storage of Siu Mei and Lo Mei, and study the possibility of requiring different staff to handle payment and Siu Mei and Lo Mei so as to minimize the chances of breeding of bacteria.'
He said (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, Mr. CHAN Kwok-leung has not come back yet from the Diaoyu Islands. Maybe he has landed. Anyway, I shall move his motion on his behalf and I am going to share with you his brief speech.
As members recall, in early Summer this year, there were several cases of food poisoning after members of the public had eaten contaminated Siu Mei. It aroused public concern over Siu Mei.
Members will remember a case in Tuen Mun where more than 20 citizens ate Siu Mei and became sick. Later on, it was confirmed that the Siu Mei in question contained staphylococcus. Final examinations revealed that two workers of the Siu Mei shop were carriers of this bacteria. That was the cause of the mass food poisoning case.
Another incident occurred at a garment factory in Kwun Tong. 20-odd workers felt sick after eating chicken and Siu Mei. The Urban Services Department said that the food processing site was unsound hygienically.
In fact, there were many such cases. I cannot exhaust them here. However, it was found that food poisoning was not solely caused by bacteria in the food, but also by man-made factors such as personal hygiene, food hygiene, and environmental hygiene.
In light of the above, in August and September this year, the Democratic Party observed the hygiene condition at 53 Siu Mei shops. Results showed that all 53 shops were in violation of the Council's regulations, especially in regard to the display of Siu Mei and the personal hygiene of the staff. For example, over 40% of shops displayed Siu Mei at uncovered places and over 60% of the shops were found to place their work tables and the chopping boards outside the show windows or along the inner side of pedestrian pavements.