XN000022-1996-04-24 — Page 64

Reply:

(c)

(d)

- 50.

given that the authority concerned will not recall British beef already brought in by restaurants, how it can prevent such restaurants from serving food made from British beef; and

whether, given the current practice that no food product can be banned from sale unless it has been proved to have adverse effect on public health, consideration will be given to amending the existing legislation so that it can better meet the actual needs of the community?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised that there is no evidence of a link between Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and its human equivalent, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). No connection has been established between consumption of British beef and CJD. The ban by the European Commission (EC) on the export of British beef on March 27 -- and Hong Kong's suspension of imports of British beef the following day were taken to avoid market confusion and to restore public confidence in beef from other countries, rather than on public health grounds.

——

While there is no way to tell from reading the label on non-British made products whether or not they contain British beef, a number of safeguards have been in effect since 1989. In that year, the United Kingdom Government prohibited Specified Bovine Offal (SBO) for human consumption or for export. (SBO is that part of cows most likely to contain BSE if the animal is infected.) In August 1995, the sale and use of SBO for animal feedingstuffs was also prohibited. Since the EC's total ban in March 1996, no British beef has been exported for use in other countries' products for human or animal consumption.

Currently available information indicates that the causative agent for BSE may not be destroyed during the canning process, but it also shows that the latter can render the agent unable to multiply.

Restaurants have been advised to furnish information to their customers on the origin of the beef they serve.

Section 54(1) of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) makes it an offence for any person to sell or prepare for sale any food intended. but is unfit, for human consumption. Such provision is considered to be fair and practicable for the purpose of protecting public health. This provision will be kept under review.

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