ENG-2009 — Page 245

Food Safety, Environmental Hygiene, Agriculture and Fisheries ■ 185

released adjacent vacant fixed hawker pitches for use by front row licensees and made preparations for the allocation of remaining vacant pitches to members of the public interested in joining the hawking trade. It also relaxed the licence succession of Dai Pai Tongs and the transfer restrictions on them to help preserve them as part of Hong Kong's local heritage, subject to the support of the relevant District Councils. In addition, FEHD after consulting the District Council concerned, issued hawker licences to eight bootblack hawkers in Central to meet public demand.

Slaughterhouses

The FEHD oversees the hygiene standards of licensed slaughterhouses in Sheung Shui, Tsuen Wan and Cheung Chau respectively.

During the year, 42 133 health certificates and 8 974 entry permits for local pigs were verified at the slaughterhouses, and 52 422 samples of urine and tissue were taken from animals for the monitoring of veterinary drug residues at the three slaughterhouses. A total of 1 679 454 pigs, 28 434 cattle and 11 631 goats were slaughtered at the three facilities. Meat supplied by the slaughterhouses has to pass. inspection by health officials before delivery to markets.

The FEHD's Intelligence Unit continued to track down vendors selling chilled meat as fresh meat and joined forces with the Customs and Excise Department and the Police regularly to curb meat smuggling. In 2009, they carried out a total of 36 raids; made nine arrests and seized 1.6 tonnes of contraband meat. The crackdown also resulted in cancellation of two Fresh Provision Shop licences.

Public Education

The FEHD runs a Health Education Exhibition and Resource Centre in Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui, and a Communication Resource Unit at the Fa Yuen Street Municipal Services Building in Mong Kok to promote food safety and environmental hygiene.

During the year, 2 779 health talks were given to the general public and various target groups, including food handlers, school children, the elderly, foreign domestic helpers and new arrivals to Hong Kong. A vehicle was also used as a mobile education centre to hammer home

to hammer home the message about food safety and environmental hygiene.

To pool community efforts in motivating the public to adopt good food safety practices, the CFS invited food trade associations and operators of licensed food premises to become signatories to the Food Safety Charter 2009 to promote and practise the 'Five Keys to Food Safety', namely, Choose, Clean, Separate, Cook and Safe Temperature. A total of 21 food trade associations and over 1 700 licensed food premises, supermarkets and convenience stores signed the Charter in 2009.

In 2008, the CFS launched a three-year publicity and education campaign on nutrition labelling to prepare the public for a new Nutrition Labelling Scheme that will come into force in July 2010. A wide range of communication tools was used to stress the benefits of the scheme to the public.