1997 — Page 464

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed
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460

HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL

Secondly, as Hong Kong's economy relies heavily on its entrepot trade, we must ensure food safety by putting in place a surveillance testing system for imported food. Moreover, since our economy also relies on tourism for revenue, we need to keep up our reputation as the 'food paradise'. Hence, every effort must be made to ensure food safety. Some time earlier, tons of frozen meat exported to China through Hong Kong from a Western country were found to contain the H7 virus by the Mainland quarantine department and the whole consignment was rejected. The meat in question was later reported to have been put on sale in the local market by some unscrupulous merchants. As we do not have a comprehensive and proper surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat, the department concerned could only give vague and ambiguous replies to the media's enquiries on the above issue.

Furthermore, in the absence of a surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat, we cannot prevent smuggling of frozen meat from illegal sources into Hong Kong. The existing practice, which merely conducts sampling of food products at the wholesale and retail outlets, is a slow and inefficient approach which is like taking the branch for the root. This is not a responsible way of doing things and no responsible government will act in such a way. Hong Kong is a consumers' city. Basically, all our foodstuffs are imported. We are a buyer on the international food market. Countries all over the world compete to sell their food products to us to earn money. Why has the SAR Government not been able to put in place a proper surveillance testing system to protect consumer right and interest and safeguard public health?

Finally, from the technical point of view, the reasons given by the department concerned for not introducing a surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat are also unconvincing. The argument which rules out the need for a surveillance testing system on grounds of so-called good records and health certificates issued by exporting countries is untenable. During the past year, there were incidents such as the Listeria in Dreyer's ice-cream bars, the E Coli 0157, and the recent outbreak of bird flu. Why have we had all these public health scares? Is it because those imported food items do not carry health certificates issued by the exporting countries? We are even more puzzled with the saying that frozen meat is not a kind of high risk food product which is also less vulnerable to cross contamination. In fact, the Government should be in a better position to carry out 'food surveillance testing before sale' for frozen meat, precisely because it has a less stringent best-before time than other fresh food products. Despite this, the Government has completely given up surveillance testing on food upon import. If the Government has not been shirking its responsibility, it is difficult to understand why the Government has adopted such an improper course of doing things.

Therefore, although my suggestion made on 7.1.1998 concerning a surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat and poultry was not accepted by the department concerned, I still think that it is wrong for the SAR Government to do without a comprehensive surveillance testing system

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Page 464 of 654 Tage 464 of 654 Page 464 of 654 460 HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL Secondly, as Hong Kong's economy relies heavily on its entrepot trade, we must ensure food safety by putting in place a surveillance testing system for imported food. Moreover, since our economy also relies on tourism for revenue, we need to keep up our reputation as the 'food paradise'. Hence, every effort must be made to ensure food safety. Some time earlier, tons of frozen meat exported to China through Hong Kong from a Western country were found to contain the H7 virus by the Mainland quarantine department and the whole consignment was rejected. The meat in question was later reported to have been put on sale in the local market by some unscrupulous merchants. As we do not have a comprehensive and proper surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat, the department concerned could only give vague and ambiguous replies to the media's enquiries on the above issue. Furthermore, in the absence of a surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat, we cannot prevent smuggling of frozen meat from illegal sources into Hong Kong. The existing practice, which merely conducts sampling of food products at the wholesale and retail outlets, is a slow and inefficient approach which is like taking the branch for the root. This is not a responsible way of doing things and no responsible government will act in such a way. Hong Kong is a consumers' city. Basically, all our foodstuffs are imported. We are a buyer on the international food market. Countries all over the world compete to sell their food products to us to earn money. Why has the SAR Government not been able to put in place a proper surveillance testing system to protect consumer right and interest and safeguard public health? Finally, from the technical point of view, the reasons given by the department concerned for not introducing a surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat are also unconvincing. The argument which rules out the need for a surveillance testing system on grounds of so-called good records and health certificates issued by exporting countries is untenable. During the past year, there were incidents such as the Listeria in Dreyer's ice-cream bars, the E Coli 0157, and the recent outbreak of bird flu. Why have we had all these public health scares? Is it because those imported food items do not carry health certificates issued by the exporting countries? We are even more puzzled with the saying that frozen meat is not a kind of high risk food product which is also less vulnerable to cross contamination. In fact, the Government should be in a better position to carry out 'food surveillance testing before sale' for frozen meat, precisely because it has a less stringent best-before time than other fresh food products. Despite this, the Government has completely given up surveillance testing on food upon import. If the Government has not been shirking its responsibility, it is difficult to understand why the Government has adopted such an improper course of doing things. Therefore, although my suggestion made on 7.1.1998 concerning a surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat and poultry was not accepted by the department concerned, I still think that it is wrong for the SAR Government to do without a comprehensive surveillance testing system
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Page 464 of 654 Tage 464 of 654 Page 464 of 654 460 HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL Secondly, as Hong Kong's economy relies heavily on its entrepot trade, we must ensure food safety by putting in place a surveillance testing system for imported food. Moreover, since our economy also relies on tourism for revenue, we need to keep up our reputation as the 'food paradise'. Hence, every effort must be made to ensure food safety. Some time earlier, tons of frozen meat exported to China through Hong Kong from a Western country were found to contain the H7 virus by the Mainland quarantine department and the whole consignment was rejected. The meat in question was later reported to have been put on sale in the local market by some unscrupulous merchants. As we do not have a comprehensive and proper surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat, the department concerned could only give vague and ambiguous replies to the media's enquiries on the above issue. Furthermore, in the absence of a surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat, we cannot prevent smuggling of frozen meat from illegal sources into Hong Kong. The existing practice, which merely conducts sampling of food products at the wholesale and retail outlets, is a slow and inefficient approach which is like taking the branch for the root. This is not a responsible way of doing things and no responsible government will act in such a way. Hong Kong is a consumers' city. Basically, all our foodstuffs are imported. We are a buyer on the international food market. Countries all over the world compete to sell their food products to us to earn money. Why has the SAR Government not been able to put in place a proper surveillance testing system to protect consumer right and interest and safeguard public health? Finally, from the technical point of view, the reasons given by the department concerned for not introducing a surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat are also unconvincing. The argument which rules out the need for a surveillance testing system on grounds of so-called good records and health certificates issued by exporting countries is untenable. During the past year, there were incidents such as the Listeria in Dreyer's ice-cream bars, the E Coli 0157, and the recent outbreak of bird flu. Why have we had all these public health scares? Is it because those imported food items do not carry health certificates issued by the exporting countries? We are even more puzzled with the saying that frozen meat is not a kind of high risk food product which is also less vulnerable to cross contamination. In fact, the Government should be in a better position to carry out 'food surveillance testing before sale' for frozen meat, precisely because it has a less stringent best-before time than other fresh food products. Despite this, the Government has completely given up surveillance testing on food upon import. If the Government has not been shirking its responsibility, it is difficult to understand why the Government has adopted such an improper course of doing things. Therefore, although my suggestion made on 7.1.1998 concerning a surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat and poultry was not accepted by the department concerned, I still think that it is wrong for the SAR Government to do without a comprehensive surveillance testing system
2026-05-16 04:17:44 · Baseline
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Page 464 of 654

Tage 464 of 654

Page 464 of 654

460

HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL

Secondly, as Hong Kong's economy relies heavily on its entrepot trade, we must ensure food safety by putting in place a surveillance testing system for imported food. Moreover, since our economy also relies on tourism for revenue, we need to keep up our reputation as the 'food paradise'. Hence, every effort must be made to ensure food safety. Some time earlier, tons of frozen meat exported to China through Hong Kong from a Western country were found to contain the H7 virus by the Mainland quarantine department and the whole consignment was rejected. The meat in question was later reported to have been put on sale in the local market by some unscrupulous merchants. As we do not have a comprehensive and proper surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat, the department concerned could only give vague and ambiguous replies to the media's enquiries on the above issue.

Furthermore, in the absence of a surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat, we cannot prevent smuggling of frozen meat from illegal sources into Hong Kong. The existing practice, which merely conducts sampling of food products at the wholesale and retail outlets, is a slow and inefficient approach which is like taking the branch for the root. This is not a responsible way of doing things and no responsible government will act in such a way. Hong Kong is a consumers' city. Basically, all our foodstuffs are imported. We are a buyer on the international food market. Countries all over the world compete to sell their food products to us to earn money. Why has the SAR Government not been able to put in place a proper surveillance testing system to protect consumer right and interest and safeguard public health?

Finally, from the technical point of view, the reasons given by the department concerned for not introducing a surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat are also unconvincing. The argument which rules out the need for a surveillance testing system on grounds of so-called good records and health certificates issued by exporting countries is untenable. During the past year, there were incidents such as the Listeria in Dreyer's ice-cream bars, the E Coli 0157, and the recent outbreak of bird flu. Why have we had all these public health scares? Is it because those imported food items do not carry health certificates issued by the exporting countries? We are even more puzzled with the saying that frozen meat is not a kind of high risk food product which is also less vulnerable to cross contamination. In fact, the Government should be in a better position to carry out 'food surveillance testing before sale' for frozen meat, precisely because it has a less stringent best-before time than other fresh food products. Despite this, the Government has completely given up surveillance testing on food upon import. If the Government has not been shirking its responsibility, it is difficult to understand why the Government has adopted such an improper course of doing things.

Therefore, although my suggestion made on 7.1.1998 concerning a surveillance testing system for imported frozen meat and poultry was not accepted by the department concerned, I still think that it is wrong for the SAR Government to do without a comprehensive surveillance testing system

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