1964 — Page 281

536

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

Page 281 of 312

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facture or preparation of food for sale for human con- sumption, shall operate except in accordance with a licence granted by the Council.

The licensing requirements are aimed at rendering premises fit for the hygienic manufacture of food. They concern the provision of a sufficient number of toilet facilities for the employees, the adequacy of ventilation, the means of dis- posal of refuse, accommodation for the storage of clothing and personal effects, the provision of wash hand basins, the rendering of ceilings dust proof and waterproof, the removal of hollow spaces serving as a harbourage for rats and insect pests, and the segregation of dwelling places from the business portion of the premises. The depart- ment is concerned both with hygiene aspects of the manufacturing process as well as with the quality of the finished article. If this is misrepresented to the public by labelling as being something which subsequent analysis proves to be false, then prosecution follows. Regular inspection of all licensed food premises is carried out at fortnightly intervals to ensure that products are being manufactured under hygienic conditions.

Food Inspectors of the department maintain a constant check on all food on sale to the public. This involves bacte- riological and chemical sampling to ascertain whether it has been adulterated or contaminated so as to render it unwholesome.

MRS. LI: Mr. Chairman, may I ask a supplementary question? It is stated in the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services' reply that the quality of the finished product is inspected. How often do you inspect the quality before the product is put on the market? Do you follow up by periodic inspections or analyses of the product in order to keep up the same quality?

ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:· Mr. Chairman, this is a matter of periodic sampling which involves not only milk powders, but many other articles of food which are on sale to the public.

MRS. LI-May I also ask another question? Does the Urban Services Department have any control over the advertisements for cer- tain food products, such as Chinese herb products or any consumable products which claim to have certain remedial properties for illness, etc.?

ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: Mr. Chairman, there is provision in the law under the Undesirable Medical Advertisements Ordinance with regard to the advertising of

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certain products as being suitable for the treatment of certain diseases. Under Section 61 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, action is taken if a food is misleadingly labelled. Action is also avail- able to us under the Merchandise Marks and Labelling Ordinance. The latter two Ordinances have been used to obtain successful prosecu- tions in respect to defective milk powder.

(8) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question :·

(a)

Would the dangerous and unhygienic conditions due to overcrowding in the Government slaughterhouse in Kowloon be permitted in privately-owned food-for-man premises?

(b) Can Government give a definite date for the completion of the new abattoirs, and firm assurance that there will be no further delays?

(c) What steps are being taken to ameliorate conditions in this slaughterhouse until the completion of the new abat- toirs?

(d) Is the blood sold from the slaughterhouse being used for

human consumption, and if so, is it free from disease?

THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-

The first part of the question pre-supposes that a valid scien- tific comparison is possible between conditions in a slaughterhouse and, for example, a restaurant.

I am afraid that I cannot agree. Ma Tau Kok Slaughterhouse is both antiquated and overcrowded, but it is not my understanding that conditions in it are either dangerous or unhygienic. I shall, however, gladly refer to the Offen- sive Trades and Slaughterhouses Select Committee any evidence you may have for supposing that they are. The answer to the second part of the question is that the Kennedy Town Abattoir is expected to be commissioned in about March 1967 and the Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir in about June 1967. Piling is already in progress on the Kennedy Town site; piling tenders for Cheung Sha Wan will be called for shortly. The dates which I have given are fairly firm as things stand now, but these two abattoir projects are of such magnitude and complexity that no one can give an assurance that there will not be any un- forseeable snags. As one example of what is involved, some 3,500 tons of equipment are now in the process of being shipped to Hong Kong, where they have to be as- sembled, installed and tested.