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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
but unfortunately, our food tradesmen are still inadequately educated in food hygiene. At present, the Urban Services Department offers talks for voluntary attendance. At the meeting of the Standing Committee for the Whole Council this month, I suggested to learn from the experience of Singapore by requiring food tradesmen to attend hygiene courses. That suggestion met with all sorts of evasions by staff of the Department. As a result, the loophole has remained despite our efforts to prevent bacteria infection during the process of food handling and distribution. The Democratic Party reiterates here that we should immediately introduce the requirement for compulsory hygiene courses.
On the other hand, the personal hygiene of food handlers is of key importance. We are fortunate that there has not been in Hong Kong a case of a human infected with H7 of the E-coli O-157 strain, but prevention is always the best policy.
The Democratic Party is also very concerned over the two cases of kindergarten staff in Tsuen Wan contracted with tuberculosis and the fact that some tens of pupils have been tested positive. Again, the alarm has been sounded. If this happens to food handlers, it will be a great mess indeed.
In the past, the Council made injections of cholera, thyroid and small pox on handlers employed by fresh food stores licensing conditions. In Singapore, such handlers are directed to do chest X-rays. For reasons unknown to me, the Department has eventually withdrawn such a requirement. This recent spread of tuberculosis in Tsuen Wan has sounded the alarm on tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
The Democratic Party asks that the Department should once again require food handlers to attend regular check-ups and take inoculations so as to prevent the spread of bacteria and virus during the food handling and distribution processes. The Democratic Party reiterates that food hygiene shall start at the source, the food handlers, the education and health of the handlers. Only by monitoring food hygiene can we seek to protect the health of our citizens. I have so spoken in support of the motion.
Ms. JENNIFER CHOW KIT-BING (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, since 10 March when the Department of Health announced the discovery of E-coli O-157 H7 in minced beef sold by a local retailer, there has been a lot of worries and concern from members of the public. An alarm has been sounded over our citizens' wrong concept of hygiene standards in food handling.
As an international metropole, food standards in Hong Kong have not met up with advanced countries of the West. Roast meat is seen hung by the roadside everywhere. Our streets are spilt with watery blood dripped from raw pig carcasses during transportation. Animal intestines are hung in vehicles and transported. These are common scenes in many of our markets. The curious thing is, our citizens do not seem to be bothered. They find it commonplace and are in the least aware that such practices are unhygienic and uncivilised.
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