WEDNESJAY, NOVÆMBER 24, 1982
HE ADDED THAT HE WAS GLAD TO LEARN THAT SUCH ASSURANCE HAD NOW BEEN GIVEN AND HE WISHED THAT THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS COULD CONTINUE WITH FRUITFUL RESULTS.
THE HON MARIA TAM ALSO URGED THAT THE LIMITS OF CONTROL IN CONTAMINATION IN FOOD-STUFF IN HONG KONG MUST CLOSELY FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION.
MISS TAM SAID RESEARCH EXPERIMENTS IN COUNTRIES ABROAD AND IN HONG KONG HAD SHOWED A CORRELATION BETWEEN AFLATOXIN IN FOOD AND THE INCIDENCE OF LIVER DISEASES AND LIVER CANCER,
ERUCIC ACID, HE SAID, WAS ALSO KNOWN TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FATTY DEPOSITS IN THE HEART MUSCLE AND THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS IF CONCENTRATED IN FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION,
MISS TAM SAID THE MAIN CONCERN OF LOCAL TRADERS WAS THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WAS CONSULTATION WITH THE TRADE ON THE PROPOSED CONTROL, THERE WAS NO CONSULTATION ON THE PROPOSED LIMITS OF AFLATOXIN AND ERUCIC ACID IN FOOD PRODUCTS AND THAT THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES HAD TOO MUCH POWER IN INTRODUCING REGULATIONS MERELY BY NOTICE IN THE GAZETTE.
HOWEVER, SHE SAID THE TRADE'S OBJECTION TO THE BILL WAS WITHDRAWN FOLLOWING A MEETING BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TRADE AND THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT ON THE ADVICE OF THE SOCIAL SERVICE GROUP OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
AT THE MEETING, MISS TAM SAID, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TRADE (NOW CALLED THE HONG KONG FOODS COUNCIL) PROMISED TO ESTABLISH À PROPER REPRESENTATIVE CAPACITY TO SPEAK ON FOOD CONTROL ISSUES, AND THE USD AGREED TO SEEK AN EXTENSION IN THE SCOPE OF CONSULTATION IN RESPECT OF NEW REGULATIONS IN FUTURE.
IT HAD ALSO BEEN EXPLAINED TO THE TRADE THAT THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES COULD NOT MAKE REGULATIONS MERELY BY NOTICE IN THE GAZETTE AND THAT ALL PROPOSED REGULATIONS HAD TO GO THROUGH THE CONSULTATION PROCESS WITH THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE SCRUTINY OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS BEFORE THEY COULD BE ENACTED AS A PIECE OF SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION.
IN MOVING THE SECOND AND THIRD READINGS OF THE BILL, THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, THE HON ERIC HO, THANKED DR FANG AND MISS TAM FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE BILL.
REFERRING TO DR FANG'S POINT ON THE NEED FOR CONSULTATION, HE SAID + AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO DISAGREEMENT ON THIS.+
IN THE CASE OF THE PROPOSED CONTROL OF AFLATOXINS AND ERUCID ACID IN FOOD, AS BOTH DR FANG AND MISS TAM HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED. THE TRADE HAD BEEN CONSULTED OVER A PERIOD OF SIX YEARS, HE SAID.
BOMETI,