1996 — Page 479

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 479 of 498

526

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. CHAN KWOK-LEUNG (in Cantonese):-I have a follow-up question. How do we monitor if food has been infected at the source? At present, we rely on sample testing for both fresh and frozen meat. I am not targeting at O-157, I just feel that tests take too long. I understand that laboratory tests and bacteria culture take several days, but when there is a positive signal, the Department of Health should announce to the public in time. Take this recent problem with anthrax as an example. There is not yet a case. As tests take a long time, we do not even know of the information. Concerning the existence of O-157 in meat, too much time has slipped by so that meat has already gone into the market. The health of our citizens has not been well protected.

CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-Maybe I can say a few words before Mr. Joseph CHAN replies. I feel that Mr. CHAN Kwok-leung's concern is how to safeguard the public from infection. It was mentioned just now that anthrax affected skin and lungs, but in fact, the main problem is in consumption. In Australia, when cattle were going through quarantine, slaughterers contracted the disease through the skin or the lungs. In Hong Kong, consumption led to contraction of the disease. As for the recent problem with O-157 bacteria, we have traced that the cattle came from Kennedy Town Abattoir and that meat was sold through Sun Luen On as the wholesaler to Yaohan Supermarkets. The important thing now is to appeal to the public not to consume meat not properly cooked. The Urban Council has made a wise decision to enforce control of eating places selling raw meat. It is, in fact, safe to eat properly cooked meat. The main thing is consumption. In fact, we in Hong Kong need not worry about theoretical contraction through skin and lungs. Be it contaminated vegetables, O-157, or anthrax, eating properly cooked food should be safe. I appeal to members of the media and working staff to spread the message that food for consumption should be properly cooked. There is no need to wait for test results to do so. Whichever method of testing takes time. Bacteria culture takes much longer than two hours. Before anything happens, the safest thing to do is to cook food properly. The same applies to contaminated vegetables. Cook them properly and you are all right. I think that is the most direct answer. I do not need to know the source because I have put on protective garments. I think we should not drag on too long about this.

MR. CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN (in Cantonese):-I want to ask if preventive measures for anthrax also work on other bacteria such as O-157? Concerning what the Chairman just said, I want to ask if there are any special reviews of the operational procedures in our abattoirs because the bacteria have been confirmed to come from an abattoir under our management. Do we have special monitoring plans for Bacillus coli as we do for anthrax?

My third question. Will the Urban Council strengthen random sampling at meat stalls after this?

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

527

My fourth question. Will our Health Education Section educate the public more during this period on the prevention of infection by Bacillus coli?

Chairman (in Cantonese):-The answer to all the above questions is 'yes'. In other words, we are stepping up education efforts to appeal to the public not to eat food before proper cooking. As for the abattoirs, since bacteria infection mainly comes from the intestine-you see samples taken from the sea for coli bacteria testing show that the bacteria mainly come from the intestine--the Health Inspectors at the Kennedy Town Abattoir have focused on separating meat from the intestine in processing. Even if a cattle is infected, separating its meat and intestine will solve the problem. So the answer is to pay more attention to the above points.

MR. DANIEL TO BOON-MAN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, some of my questions were already raised. I just want to ask how cattle are infected in the abattoirs. Why was infection discovered after meat had gone into the market? I want to know if there are ways to close the loophole and the measures to protect the safety of our citizens.

CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-I do not know if Mr. To has ever visited an abattoir. Generally, it is a line operation. A slaughtered cattle is hung up, its intestine taken out, its meat carcass moved away from the abattoir. The normal practice is to separate the intestine of cattle and burn it. Our present mode of operation is quite reliable and it has been in use for many years. We only have one case of O-157. The same type of bacteria was discovered in Osaka one or two years ago. So we are in good control. Does Mr. Joseph CHAN have anything to add?

Mr. Joseph Chan Yuek-sut (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, thank you for answering the questions. If there is anything to add, I must say that O-157 comes from manure. If manure infected with O-157 is adhered to meat during the process of slaughtering, it could have been adhered during slaughtering or when pulling out the intestine. For those of you who have visited an abattoir, you will know that the hide is first removed. If rinsing is not done thoroughly, small particles of manure may adhere and then get to the meat, infecting the meat as well. That is one possibility.

The second possibility is the existence of an infected carrier or infection during transportation or food processing. If that person went to the toilet and then handled the beef without washing his hands, or if his hands got into contact with food during processing, there could be infection. Yes, the infected meat is from cattle handled in our abattoir, but the Department of Health is still tracing the source of the whole thing. It cannot be determined at this stage whether infection came from food processing or during transportation.

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Page 479 of 498 Page 479 of 498 526 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL MR. CHAN KWOK-LEUNG (in Cantonese):-I have a follow-up question. How do we monitor if food has been infected at the source? At present, we rely on sample testing for both fresh and frozen meat. I am not targeting at O-157, I just feel that tests take too long. I understand that laboratory tests and bacteria culture take several days, but when there is a positive signal, the Department of Health should announce to the public in time. Take this recent problem with anthrax as an example. There is not yet a case. As tests take a long time, we do not even know of the information. Concerning the existence of O-157 in meat, too much time has slipped by so that meat has already gone into the market. The health of our citizens has not been well protected. CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-Maybe I can say a few words before Mr. Joseph CHAN replies. I feel that Mr. CHAN Kwok-leung's concern is how to safeguard the public from infection. It was mentioned just now that anthrax affected skin and lungs, but in fact, the main problem is in consumption. In Australia, when cattle were going through quarantine, slaughterers contracted the disease through the skin or the lungs. In Hong Kong, consumption led to contraction of the disease. As for the recent problem with O-157 bacteria, we have traced that the cattle came from Kennedy Town Abattoir and that meat was sold through Sun Luen On as the wholesaler to Yaohan Supermarkets. The important thing now is to appeal to the public not to consume meat not properly cooked. The Urban Council has made a wise decision to enforce control of eating places selling raw meat. It is, in fact, safe to eat properly cooked meat. The main thing is consumption. In fact, we in Hong Kong need not worry about theoretical contraction through skin and lungs. Be it contaminated vegetables, O-157, or anthrax, eating properly cooked food should be safe. I appeal to members of the media and working staff to spread the message that food for consumption should be properly cooked. There is no need to wait for test results to do so. Whichever method of testing takes time. Bacteria culture takes much longer than two hours. Before anything happens, the safest thing to do is to cook food properly. The same applies to contaminated vegetables. Cook them properly and you are all right. I think that is the most direct answer. I do not need to know the source because I have put on protective garments. I think we should not drag on too long about this. MR. CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN (in Cantonese):-I want to ask if preventive measures for anthrax also work on other bacteria such as O-157? Concerning what the Chairman just said, I want to ask if there are any special reviews of the operational procedures in our abattoirs because the bacteria have been confirmed to come from an abattoir under our management. Do we have special monitoring plans for Bacillus coli as we do for anthrax? My third question. Will the Urban Council strengthen random sampling at meat stalls after this? HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 527 My fourth question. Will our Health Education Section educate the public more during this period on the prevention of infection by Bacillus coli? Chairman (in Cantonese):-The answer to all the above questions is 'yes'. In other words, we are stepping up education efforts to appeal to the public not to eat food before proper cooking. As for the abattoirs, since bacteria infection mainly comes from the intestine-you see samples taken from the sea for coli bacteria testing show that the bacteria mainly come from the intestine--the Health Inspectors at the Kennedy Town Abattoir have focused on separating meat from the intestine in processing. Even if a cattle is infected, separating its meat and intestine will solve the problem. So the answer is to pay more attention to the above points. MR. DANIEL TO BOON-MAN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, some of my questions were already raised. I just want to ask how cattle are infected in the abattoirs. Why was infection discovered after meat had gone into the market? I want to know if there are ways to close the loophole and the measures to protect the safety of our citizens. CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-I do not know if Mr. To has ever visited an abattoir. Generally, it is a line operation. A slaughtered cattle is hung up, its intestine taken out, its meat carcass moved away from the abattoir. The normal practice is to separate the intestine of cattle and burn it. Our present mode of operation is quite reliable and it has been in use for many years. We only have one case of O-157. The same type of bacteria was discovered in Osaka one or two years ago. So we are in good control. Does Mr. Joseph CHAN have anything to add? Mr. Joseph Chan Yuek-sut (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, thank you for answering the questions. If there is anything to add, I must say that O-157 comes from manure. If manure infected with O-157 is adhered to meat during the process of slaughtering, it could have been adhered during slaughtering or when pulling out the intestine. For those of you who have visited an abattoir, you will know that the hide is first removed. If rinsing is not done thoroughly, small particles of manure may adhere and then get to the meat, infecting the meat as well. That is one possibility. The second possibility is the existence of an infected carrier or infection during transportation or food processing. If that person went to the toilet and then handled the beef without washing his hands, or if his hands got into contact with food during processing, there could be infection. Yes, the infected meat is from cattle handled in our abattoir, but the Department of Health is still tracing the source of the whole thing. It cannot be determined at this stage whether infection came from food processing or during transportation. Page 479 of 498 Page 479 of 498

Baseline (Original)

Page 479 of 498 Page 479 of 498 526 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL MR. CHAN KWOK-LEUNG (in Cantonesc):-I have a follow up question. How do we monitor if food has been inferted at the source? At present, we rely on sample testing for both fresh and frozen meat. I am not targeting at 0-157, I just feel that tests take too long. I understand that laboratory tests and bacteria culture take several days, but when there is positive signal, the Department of Health should amounce to the public in time. Take this recent problem with anthrax as an example. There is not yet a case. As tests take a long time, we do not even know of the information. Concerning the existence of 0-157 in meat, too much time has slipped by so that meat has already gone into the market. The health of our citizens has not been well protected. CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-Maybe I can say a few words before Mr. Joseph CHAN replies. I feel that Mr. CHAN Kwok-leung's concern is how to safeguard the public from infection. It was mentioned just now that anthrax affected skin and lungs, but in fact the main problem is in consumption. In Australia, when cattle was going through quarantine, slaughterers contracted the disease through the skin or the lungs. In Hong Kong, consumption led to contraction of the disease. As for the recent problem with 0-157 bacteria, we have traced that the cattle came from Kennedy Town Abattoir and that meat was sold through Sun Luen On as the wholesaler to Yaohan Supermarkets. The important thing now is to appeal to the public not to consume meat not properly cooked. The Urban Council has made a wise decision to enforce control of eating places selling raw meat. It is in fact safe to cal properly cooked meat. The main thing is consumption. In fact, we in Hong Kong need not worry about theoretical contraction through skin and lungs. Be il contaminated vegetables, 0-157 or anthrax, eating properly cooked food should be safe. I appeal to members of the media and work staff to spread the message that food for consumption should be properly cooked. There is no need to wait for test results to do so. Whichever method of testing takes time. Bacteria culture takes much longer than two hours. Before anything happens. the safest thing to do is to cook food properly. The same applies to contaminated vegetables. Cook them properly and you are all right. I think that is the most direct answer. I do not need to know the source because I have put on protective garment. I think we should not drag on too long about this. MR. CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN (in Cantonese):-- want to ask if preventive measures for anthrax also work on other bacteria such as 0-157? Concerning what the Chairman just said, I want to ask if there are any special review of the operational procedures in our abattoirs because the bacteria has been confirmed to come from an abattoir under our management. Do we have special monitoring plans for Bacillus coli columnis as we do for anthrax? My third question. Will the Urban Council strengthen random sampling et meat stalls after this? HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 527 My fourth question. Will our Health Education Section educate the public more during this period on the prevention of infection by Bacillus coli columnis? Chairman (in Cantonese):-The answer to all the above questions is 'yes'. In other words, we are stepping up education efforts to appeal to the public not to eat food before proper cooking. As for the abattoirs, since bacteria infection mainly comes from intestine-you see samples taken from the sea for coli bacteria testing show that the bacteria mainly comes from the intestine--the Health Inspectors at the Kennedy Town Abattoir have focussed on separating meat from the intestine in processing. Even if a cattle is infected, separating its meat and intestine will solve the problem. So the answer is to pay more attention to the above points'. MR. DANIEL TO BOON-MAN (in Cantonese);---Mr. Chairman, some of my questions were already raised. I just want to ask how cattle are infected in the abattoirs. Why was infection discovered after meat had gone into the market? [ want to know if there are ways to close the loophole and the measures to protect the safety of our citizens. CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-I do not know if Mr. To has ever visited an abattoir. Generally, it is a line operation. A slaughtered cattle is hung up, its intestine taken out, its meat carcass moved away from the abattoir. The normal practice is to separate the intestine of cattle and burn it. Our present mode of operation is quite reliable and it has been in use for many years. We only have one case of 0-157. The same type of bacteria was discovered in Osaka one or two years ago. So we are in good control. Does Mr. Joseph CHAN have anything to add? Mr. Joseph Chan Yuek-sut (in Cantonese);-Mr. Chairman, thank you for answering the questions. If there is anything to add. I must say that 0-157 comes from manure. If manure infected with O-157 is adhered to meat during the process of slaughtering, it could have been adhered during slaughtering or when pulling out the intestine. For those of you who have visited an abattoir, you will know that the hide is first removed. If rinsing is not done thoroughly, small particles of manure may adhere and then get to the meat, infecting the neat as well. That is one possibility. The second possibility is the existence of an infected carrier or infection during transportation or food processing. If that person went to the toilet and then handled the beef without washing his hands, or if his hands get into contact with food during processing, there could be infection. Yes, the infected meat is from cattle handled in our abattoir, but the Department of Health is still tracing the source of the whole thing. It cannot be determined at this stage whether infection came from food processing or during transportation. Page 479 of 498 Page 479 of 498

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Page 479 of 498

526

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. CHAN KWOK-LEUNG (in Cantonesc):-I have a follow up question. How do we monitor if food has been inferted at the source? At present, we rely on sample testing for both fresh and frozen meat. I am not targeting at 0-157, I just feel that tests take too long. I understand that laboratory tests and bacteria culture take several days, but when there is positive signal, the Department of Health should amounce to the public in time. Take this recent problem with anthrax as an example. There is not yet a case. As tests take a long time, we do not even know of the information. Concerning the existence of 0-157 in meat, too much time has slipped by so that meat has already gone into the market. The health of our citizens has not been well protected.

CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-Maybe I can say a few words before Mr. Joseph CHAN replies. I feel that Mr. CHAN Kwok-leung's concern is how to safeguard the public from infection. It was mentioned just now that anthrax affected skin and lungs, but in fact the main problem is in consumption. In Australia, when cattle was going through quarantine, slaughterers contracted the disease through the skin or the lungs. In Hong Kong, consumption led to contraction of the disease. As for the recent problem with 0-157 bacteria, we have traced that the cattle came from Kennedy Town Abattoir and that meat was sold through Sun Luen On as the wholesaler to Yaohan Supermarkets. The important thing now is to appeal to the public not to consume meat not properly cooked. The Urban Council has made a wise decision to enforce control of eating places selling raw meat. It is in fact safe to cal properly cooked meat. The main thing is consumption. In fact, we in Hong Kong need not worry about theoretical contraction through skin and lungs. Be il contaminated vegetables, 0-157 or anthrax, eating properly cooked food should be safe. I appeal to members of the media and work staff to spread the message that food for consumption should be properly cooked. There is no need to wait for test results to do so. Whichever method of testing takes time. Bacteria culture takes much longer than two hours. Before anything happens. the safest thing to do is to cook food properly. The same applies to contaminated vegetables. Cook them properly and you are all right. I think that is the most direct answer. I do not need to know the source because I have put on protective garment. I think we should not drag on too long about this. MR. CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN (in Cantonese):-- want to ask if preventive measures for anthrax also work on other bacteria such as 0-157? Concerning what the Chairman just said, I want to ask if there are any special review of the operational procedures in our abattoirs because the bacteria has been confirmed to come from an abattoir under our management. Do we have special monitoring plans for Bacillus coli columnis as we do for anthrax?

My third question. Will the Urban Council strengthen random sampling et

meat stalls after this?

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

527

My fourth question. Will our Health Education Section educate the public more during this period on the prevention of infection by Bacillus coli columnis?

Chairman (in Cantonese):-The answer to all the above questions is 'yes'. In other words, we are stepping up education efforts to appeal to the public not to eat food before proper cooking. As for the abattoirs, since bacteria infection mainly comes from intestine-you see samples taken from the sea for coli bacteria testing show that the bacteria mainly comes from the intestine--the Health Inspectors at the Kennedy Town Abattoir have focussed on separating meat from the intestine in processing. Even if a cattle is infected, separating its meat and intestine will solve the problem. So the answer is to pay more attention to the above points'.

MR. DANIEL TO BOON-MAN (in Cantonese);---Mr. Chairman, some of my questions were already raised. I just want to ask how cattle are infected in the abattoirs. Why was infection discovered after meat had gone into the market? [ want to know if there are ways to close the loophole and the measures to protect the safety of our citizens.

CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-I do not know if Mr. To has ever visited an abattoir. Generally, it is a line operation. A slaughtered cattle is hung up, its intestine taken out, its meat carcass moved away from the abattoir. The normal practice is to separate the intestine of cattle and burn it. Our present mode of operation is quite reliable and it has been in use for many years. We only have one case of 0-157. The same type of bacteria was discovered in Osaka one or two years ago. So we are in good control. Does Mr. Joseph CHAN have anything to add?

Mr. Joseph Chan Yuek-sut (in Cantonese);-Mr. Chairman, thank you for answering the questions. If there is anything to add. I must say that 0-157 comes from manure. If manure infected with O-157 is adhered to meat during the process of slaughtering, it could have been adhered during slaughtering or when pulling out the intestine. For those of you who have visited an abattoir, you will know that the hide is first removed. If rinsing is not done thoroughly, small particles of manure may adhere and then get to the meat, infecting the neat as well. That is one possibility.

The second possibility is the existence of an infected carrier or infection during transportation or food processing. If that person went to the toilet and then handled the beef without washing his hands, or if his hands get into contact with food during processing, there could be infection. Yes, the infected meat is from cattle handled in our abattoir, but the Department of Health is still tracing the source of the whole thing. It cannot be determined at this stage whether infection came from food processing or during transportation.

1996 — Page 479

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