XN000022-1982-09-24 — Page 3

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1982

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*THE OLD RAF KAI TAK AREA CURRENTLY UNRESTRICTED WILL REMAIN SO IN VIEW OF THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF HIGH TERRAIN AND THE LOW PROBABILITY OF AIRCRAFT FLYING OVER IT AT OTHER THAN SAFE ALTITUDES, HE ADDED.

HOWEVER, HE EMPHASISED THAT THE RELAXATION WAS NOT RELATED IN ANY WAY TO THE POSSIBLE FUTURE RELOCATION OF THE AIRPORT.

AMONG THE EXEMPTIONS TO AIRPORT HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS APPROVED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, WAS THE PROPOSED CHAI WAN DEPOT OF THE MTRC'S ISLAND LINE WITH A HEIGHT RESTRICTION OF 60 METRES ABOVE PRINCIPAL DATUM.

PLANS CAN BE SEEN AT ALL DISTRICT LAND OFFICES AND ARE ON SALE AT THE MAPS AND PLANS SALES OFFICE, LANDS DEPARTMENT, MURRAY BUILDING, 5TH FLOOR, GARDEN ROAD, HONG KONG.

NEW FOOD REGULATIONS TO BE INTRODUCED

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THE GOVERNMENT WILL SHORTLY BE INTRODUCING ONE SET OF NEW REGULATIONS AND AMENDING AN EXISTING ONE TO CONTROL THE PRESENCE OF HARMFUL SUBSTANCES AND METALLIC CONTAMINATION IN FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.

THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS ON HARMFUL SUBSTANCES IN FOOD WILL LIMIT THE LEVEL OF AFLATOXINS IN FOOD TO 20 PARTS PER BILLION (PPB)/(MICROGRAMS PER KILOGRAM) OF AFLATOXINS IN PEANUT OIL AND PEANUT PRODUCTS AND 15 PPB IN OTHER FOODS.

THESE LEVELS ARE ADOPTED IN THE UNITED STATES AND ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE IMPOSED IN MANY OTHER COUNTRIES.

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IN 1974, THE GOVERNMENT BEGAN AN INTENSIVE STUDY AND SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME ON AFLATOXINS IN FOOD, INCLUDING CEREALS, BEANS, BUTTER, CORN OIL, PEANUT OIL AND PEANUT PRODUCTS. 1976, IT WAS AGREED THAT A LEVEL OF 50 PPB OF AFLATOXINS IN PEANUT OIL SHOULD BE TENTATIVELY TOLERATED, PENDING FURTHER MONITORING WITH A VIEW TO REDUCING THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATION BY LEGISLATION.

THE NEW REGULATIONS ARE NOW PROPOSED AFTER YEARS OF STUDY, MONITORING AND CONSULTATIONS WITH VARIOUS OVERSEAS AUTHORITIES AND PARTIES CONCERNED.

THEY WILL ALSO INTRODUCE A STATUTORY LIMIT ON THE LEVEL OF ERUCIC ACID IN FOOD BY ADOPTING THE STANDARDS PRESCRIBED BY THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITIES (EEC), THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (FAO/WHO).

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