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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1982
UNDER THE NEW REGULATIONS, THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED CONCENTRATION OF ERUCIC ACID IN ANY FOOD TO WHICH OIL OR FAT OR A MIXTURE THEREOF HAS BEEN ADDED WILL BE FIVE PER CENTUM BY WEIGHT OF THEIR FATTY ACID CONTENT OF ALL THE OILS AND FATS IN THE FOOD. IN ANY OIL OR FAT OR ANY MIXTURE THEREOF, THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED CONCENTRATION WILL BE FIVE PER CENTUM BY WEIGHT OF THE IR FATTY ACID CONTENT.
THE LEGISLATIONS WILL ALSO PROHIBIT THE IMPORTATION AND SALE OF FOOD CONTAINING AFLATOXINS AND ERUCIC ACID IN EXCESSIVE CONCENTRATIONS. ANY PERSON WHO CONTRAVENES THE LEGISLATIONS WILL BE LIABLE TO A FINE OF $10 000 AND TO IMPRISONMENT FOR SIX MONTHS.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE GOVERNMENT IS ALSO PROPOSING TO INTRODUCE A REVISED SET OF REGULATIONS TO REPLACE THE EXISTING ONE BY REMOVING THE IMPRACTICAL ZERO TOLERANCE LEVEL AND PROVIDING SAFE MAXIMUM CONCENTRATIONS FOR THE THREE HITHERTO PROHIBITED METALS IN FOOD, NAMELY, ANTIMONY, CADMIUM AND CHROMIUM WHICH CAN BE NATURALLY PRESENT IN CERTAIN FOODS THROUGH ABSORPTION FROM SOIL AND WATER.
WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW REGULATIONS, THE PRESENCE OF THESE THREE METALS WILL BE PERMITTED IN SPECIFIED FOODS PROVIDING THE MAXIMUM CONCENTRATIONS PRESCRIBED IN THE SCHEDULE OF THE REGULATIONS ARE NOT EXCEEDED.
IN DETERMINING THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE LEVELS FOR ANTIMONY, CADMIUM AND CHROMIUM, CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO LOCAL EATING HABITS. IN ADDITION, DIFFERENT FOODSTUFFS HAVE BEEN SAMPLED AND A DIET SURVEY UNDERTAKEN TO ESTIMATE THE METALLIC CONCENTRATIONS PRESENT. REFERENCE HAS ALSO BEEN MADE TO THE LEVELS PRESCRIBED IN OTHER COUNTRIES, BASED ON SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS OF THE FAO/WHO AND NATIONAL BODIES.
THE REGULATIONS WILL ALSO PROHIBIT THE SALE AND IMPORTATION OF FOOD CONTAINING ANY METAL IN SUCH AMOUNT AS TO BE DANGEROUS OR PREJUDICIAL TO HEALTH.
UNDER THE TWO SETS OF PROPOSED REGULATIONS - HARMFUL SUBSTANCES IN FOOD REGULATIONS 1982 AND FOOD ADULTERATION (METALLIC CONTAMINATION) REGULATIONS 1982 - THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES MAY, BY NOTICE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE, AMEND THE CONCENTRATIONS SPECIFIED IN THE SCHEDULES.
TO EMPOWER THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES TO MAKE THESE AMENDMENTS, A NEW BILL GAZETTED TODAY (FRIDAY) WILL BE INTRODUCED AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHORTLY.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND URBAN SERVICES (AMENDMENT) (NO. 3) BILL 1982 WILL ADD A NEW SECTION 55(3) TO THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE, SO AS TO ENABLE THE DIRECTOR TO AMEND ANY PROVISION RELATING TO THE REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE COMPOSITION OF FOOD AND DRUGS IN THE LIGHT OF LOCAL OR OVERSEAS SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS.