XN000022-1996-12-11 — Page 16

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These food poisoning cases were the first few cases related to vegetables contamination reported to the Department recently. Before that, there were only two confirmed food poisoning cases related to pesticide contaminated vegetables in 1996, both of them occurred in January.

To reduce food poisoning by pesticide contaminated vegetables, members of the public are advised to take the following precautionary measures:

do not patronise unlicensed hawkers;

do not buy vegetables with an obvious strange smell;

wash well before cooking;

dip vegetables into clean water for one hour to allow pesticide to leach out;

blanch in boiling water and pour away the water used for blanching as it may contain dissolved pesticides; and

cook thoroughly before consumption.

End

Two lots sold for $821 million at land auction

Two lots of government land were sold for a total of $821 million at a public land auction held by the Lands Department this (Wednesday) afternoon.

The first lot, located at Electric Road in North Point, was sold to Best Origin Limited at $760 million, with bidding opened at $480 million.

It has an area of about 1,222.6 square metres for non-industrial purposes, excluding godown, warehouse, hotel, service apartment, petrol filling station and private residential use.

The developer has to complete a gross floor area of not less than 11,000 square metres on or before December 31, 2000.