ENG-1987 — Page 183

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HEALTH

promote health and improve the environment. Specific needs of organisations, such as schools and voluntary agencies, were also handled by the unit.

Food

The health inspectorate, backed by medical consultancy and supported by laboratory resources, controlled food for sale, both imported and locally produced. In the wake of the Chernobyl reactor accident in April 1986, close monitoring of commodities, especially from Europe, continued to be carried out for possible radioactive contamination, so as to ensure that they were safe for human consumption. A sudden and massive outbreak of chemical food poisoning occurred late in the year and was brought under control within a few days. The vehicle was identified to be vegetables imported from across the border which had been contaminated with methamidophos, an agricultural pesticide the sale and use of which are prohibited in Hong Kong.

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The growing number of food establishments and the quantities and varieties of food items available on the local market have increased the importance of law enforcement. This entails systematic food inspection and surveys, including sampling for laboratory examina- tions. Parallel to this is the increasing demand for services for certification of foods for export and re-export to foreign countries.

Hong Kong has an up-to-date, detailed and effective body of food law which compares well with the food legislation of many much larger advanced countries. During the year, the local legislation was strengthened by extending its control on bottled drinking water, and on the sources of imported milk and milk beverages for sale for human consumption.

Externally, Hong Kong maintains a close tie with the Food and Agriculture Organisa- tion, the World Health Organisation and other international authoritative bodies, to keep abreast of developments in food science and technology. Up-to-date information is used not only for the purpose of food control, but also for the benefit of the food trade and

consumers.

Markets

The Urban Council runs 56 public markets with more than 7 500 stalls selling different commodities ranging from fresh foodstuffs such as meat, fish, poultry, vegetables and fruits, to general merchandise such as clothing, household goods and other daily necessities. Increasingly, new cooked-food centres are built within market complexes to resite existing on-street cooked-food stalls.

It is a continuing aim of the Urban Council to reprovision old markets, and, where possible, demolish outdated ones and to rebuild on the site new multi-purpose complexes providing not only markets but such modern facilities as games halls, libraries, and auditoria for the performing arts. This is a far more efficient and productive use of the land. There are now six such multi-purpose complexes in the Urban Council area.

The Regional Council is responsible for the management of public markets in the Regional Council area. There are 42 public markets with a total of 4 471 market stalls and 374 cooked food stalls under its management. One new market, the Cheung Tat Road Cooked Food Market on Tsing Yi Island was commissioned in 1987, providing 12 additional cooked food stalls.

Hawkers

The Urban Council is responsible for the management and control of hawkers in the urban areas, and receives some assistance from the police in controlling unlicensed hawkers in certain areas. In mid-1987 there were about 20 500 licensed hawkers in the urban areas,

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