ENG-1969 — Page 174

HEALTH

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legislation (other than hawker licences) are dealt with by a Central Licensing Unit. Investigation into food poisoning cases and control of infectious diseases is carried out in close liaison with the Medical and Health Department. Health staff are also responsible for inves- tigating complaints of sanitary nuisances and for the prevention of fly and mosquito breeding. Strict hygienic control is exercised over food and drink vending-machines. Frozen meat and offal, frozen poultry and poultry parts, including feet, are imported in large quantities into Hong Kong from many sources, and special food inspection staff are engaged in the control and inspection of these products, together with many other varieties of imported foods and meat products. Inspection and certification of food for export is also undertaken by the food inspection staff, as well as the inspec- tion of animal products and human hair for export under veterinary certification. Milk and ice-cream are regularly sampled for quality and purity and samples are also obtained for the control of food preservatives, food colouring materials, and composition. It is pro- posed to introduce legislation to prohibit the use of Cyclamate (an artificial sweetener) in food and drink. This follows reports of ex- periments involving the use of large dosages of Cyclamates having caused cancer of the bladder in laboratory animals.

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A pest control section carries out measures and renders advice on the control of rats, mice, cockroaches, ants, fleas, bed-bugs, and biting midges throughout the Colony. In the New Territories, the scope of this section includes also the control of flies and culicine (nuisance) mosquitoes (handled in the urban area by District Health Staff). The regular larvicidal oiling of streams to prevent the breeding of malarial mosquitoes on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon peninsula, and, in the New Territories at Kwai Chung, Rennie's Mill Village and Cheung Chau Island, is also a function of the Pest Control Section.

The Health Education Section continued to organise publicity campaigns on various aspects of health and hygiene and to hold food-hygiene training courses for food handlers. In conjunction with the Department of Extra-mural Studies of the Chinese Uni- versity of Hong Kong, evening food-hygiene courses for catering supervisors were introduced. Other public health courses were also held for specific groups of the public.