Page 271 of 312
516
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN: ---Sir, I am not sure what you would want the two Committees to do at a joint meeting.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: - To expedite building progress. May I draw your attention, Mr. Chairman, to the terms of reference of the Offensive Trades and Slaughterhouses Select Committee which read, inter alia, in regard to slaughterhouses, and to advise on the planning, construction and operation of the new abattoirs." Now, Mr. Chairman, since construction of both abattoirs is way behind schedule, surely it would be advantageous to have a joint meeting of these two Committees to discuss what can be done to expedite their building?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: - Mr. Chairman, perhaps I could help by trying to clarify the purpose of the Abattoirs Progress Sub-Committee and that is, to ensure that nothing is held up because of lack of funds or because of waiting for approval of additional funds. This is without any question their main function and they have been extremely useful when we get in tenders. I am taking a broad example now: as I told you, I think, at the last meeting, we were calling for tenders for the piling; if such tenders come in very much higher than the estimate we will not have to wait for the next meeting of Finance Committee in order to accept a tender because we can go straight to the Abattoirs Progress Sub-Committee. It is this type of function which has been extremely useful, and is of great assistance, to the Public Works Department.
MR. BERNACCHI: - Perhaps, Mr. Chairman, a joint meeting would only further delay the construction. (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: - Mr. Chairman, I think I had better throw in the sponge. (Laughter).
(9) (10) MR. K. S. Lo asked the following two questions:
According to the November Monthly Report, 11 samples of edible oils were examined for adulteration and found to be satisfactory. Will the Chairman please inform this Council how many of them were peanut oil samples?
It has been established that animal feeds and such other products as peanut butter made from peanuts contaminated by mould, are found to contain aflatoxin, a substance highly toxic and injurious to health. In view of the large quantities of peanut oil and peanut butter consumed locally, may I ask the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services through you, whether any work has been done to find out whether there is any aflatoxin in those products sold locally?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
517
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:-
The first question concerns routine sampling of edible oils for chemical analysis to check adulteration. Of the 11 samples referred to in the November Monthly Report, 3 were of peanut oil, the remainder being of sesame and other edible oils.
The second question is a little more involved:
It is certainly true that animal feeds made from peanuts affected by the mould "Aspergillus flavus" can become toxic to animals. The toxic factor in the mould, identified in England in 1960 following the death of a large number of young turkeys being fattened for Christmas, has been named "aflatoxin".
This substance is likely to be formed in over-mature peanuts with damaged shells which are harvested, or stored, or transported under very moist conditions. If a high concentration of the toxin is ingested by farm animals, fatal liver damage can be caused - particularly in young poultry, pigs and calves. On a number of occasions in Hong Kong, "aflatoxin" has been tested for by the Government Chemist and found to be present in animal feeding stuffs containing peanut meal; these feeding stuffs have proved toxic, though not fatal, when given on a special experimental basis, but so far no ill effects in animals have been apparent here under ordinary conditions.
In human beings no ill effects of any kind have been recorded from either the consumption of peanuts contaminated with "aflatoxin" or of any products manufactured from such nuts.
Peanut oil prepared for human consumption in any form has been shown to be free from "aflatoxin"; the refining process employed removes any trace of toxin which may have been present in the crude oil.
Similarly, no toxin has been found in samples of peanut butter, the main supplies of which are imported.
The ill effects of "aflatoxin", therefore, appear to be confined to animals fed on a meal containing a large proportion of material infected by this mould.
I know that staff of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department are well informed on this matter and that they are aware
Page 271 of 312
Page 271 of 312
516
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN: ---Sir, I am not sure what you would want the two Committees to do at a joint meeting.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-To expedite building progress. May I draw your attention, Mr. Chairman, to the terms of reference of the Offensive Trades and Slaughterhouses Select Committee which read, inter alia, in regard to slaughterhouses, and to advise on the planning, construction and operation of the new abattoirs." Now, Mr. Chairman, since construction of both abattoirs is way behind schedule, surely it would be advantageous to have a joint meeting of these two Committees to discuss what can be done to expedite their building?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: -Mr. Chairman, perhaps I could help by trying to clarify the purpose of the Abattoirs Progress Sub- Committee and that is, to ensure that nothing is held up because of lack of funds or because of waiting for approval of additional funds. This is without any question their main function and they have been extremely useful when we get in tenders. I am taking a broad example now: as I told you, I think, at the last meeting, we were calling for tenders for the piling; if such tenders come in very much higher than the estimate we will not have to wait for the next meeting of Finance Committee in order to accept a tender because we can go straight to the Abattoirs Progress Sub-Committee. It is this type of function which has been extremely useful, and is of great assistance, to the Public Works Department.
MR. BERNACCHI :-Perhaps, Mr. Chairman, a joint meeting would only further delay the construction. (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I think I had better throw in the sponge. (Laughter).
(9) (10) MR. K. S. Lo asked the following two questions:
According to the November Monthly Report, 11 samples of edible oils were examined for adulteration and found to be satisfactory. Will the Chairman please inform this Council how many of them were peanut oil samples?
It has been established that animal feeds and such other products as peanut butter made from peanuts contaminated by mould, are found to contain aflatoxin, a substance highly toxic and injurious to health. In view of the large quantities of peanut oil and peanut butter consumed local- ly, may I ask the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services through you, whether any work has been done to
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
517
find out whether there is any aflatoxin in those products sold locally?
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:-
The first question concerns routine sampling of edible oils for chemical analysis to check adulteration. Of the 11 samples referred to in the November Monthly Report, 3 were of peanut oil, the remainder being of sesame and other edible oils.
The second question is a little more involved:
It is certainly true that animal feeds made from peanuts affected by the mould "Aspergillus flavus" can become toxic to animals. The toxic factor in the mould, identified in England in 1960 following the death of a large number of young turkeys being fattened for Christmas, has been named "aflatoxin".
This substance is likely to be formed in over-mature peanuts with damaged shells which are harvested, or stored, or transported under very moist conditions. If a high con- centration of the toxin is ingested by farm animals, fatal liver damage can be caused-particularly in young poul- try, pigs and calves. On a number of occasions in Hong Kong, "aflatoxin" has been tested for by the Government Chemist and found to be present in animal feeding stuffs containing peanut meal; these feeding stuffs have proved toxic, though not fatal, when given on a special experi- mental basis, but so far no ill effects in animals have been apparent here under ordinary conditions.
In human beings no ill effects of any kind have been recorded from either the consumption of peanuts contaminated with "aflatoxin" or of any products manufactured from such nuts.
Peanut oil prepared for human consumption in any form has been shown to be free from "aflatoxin"; the refining process employed removes any trace of toxin which may have been present in the crude oil.
Similarly, no toxin has been found in samples of peanut but-
ter, the main supplies of which are imported.
The ill effects of "aflatoxin", therefore, appear to be confined to animals fed on a meal containing a large proportion of material infected by this mould.
I know that staff of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department are well informed on this matter and that they are aware
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.