The year 2008 was yet another dynamic and eventful one for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
One of the major challenges we met during the year was avian influenza following the detection in June of H5N1 virus in faecal samples taken from poultry stalls in some local markets. All live poultry in retail outlets were subsequently culled. To protect public health and to further reduce the risk posed by avian influenza, the Government made legislative changes to ban overnight stocking of live poultry at retail outlets and offered a buyout scheme to farmers, wholesalers, retailers and transporters in the live poultry trade. The number of retail outlets was in the end reduced by some 70 per cent.
On the food safety front, detection of melamine in Mainland infant formula in September rang an alarm bell for Hong Kong. To address public concern and to assess possible health risks, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) immediately stepped up surveillance and sample testing of milk and diary products and made daily announcements on the test results and the latest developments. The Government also quickly amended in September the Harmful Substances in Food Regulation to set the maximum concentration limits of melamine in food. In November, it introduced into LegCo the Public Health and Municipal Services (Amendment) Bill 2008, which proposed to empower the authority to make an order to prohibit the import or supply of problem food and direct a food recall when necessary for the protection of public health.
Not only were our staff busily engaged in local issues, they also played a part in the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events. Meeting the target of "zero incident in food poisoning" is a feather in the Department's cap. The anti-mosquito measures carried out in the event venues and surrounding areas of the hotels for athletes and guests were also efforts well made.
Our staff also extended their work commitment and care for others beyond the territory. Shortly after the tragic earthquake in Sichuan in May, some of our colleagues joined a Government public health professional team to provide assistance in environmental hygiene control in quake areas. I am proud of their selflessness and dedication devoted to this operation.
Looking into 2009, the CFS's most urgent task is public education and promotional activities on the nutrition labelling scheme for prepackaged food. Our goal is to help the public better understand nutrition information on food labels to make healthier food choices before the scheme comes into effect in July 2010.
Other new initiatives under way for food safety include releasing the Food Safety Report on a monthly basis and introducing a Food Safety Bill. The Bill will include, among others, a mandatory registration scheme for food importers and distributors, which can facilitate tracing of food sources and distribution points in the event of a food incident.
On hawkers and markets, we will continue to review the provision of public markets and the policy on hawker licensing. We will examine the options of shutting down public markets with consistently high vacancy rates and issuing new licences for itinerant ice-cream vendors.
In closing, I want to thank all colleagues for the great efforts they made over the year. I am confident that they, as always, can meet all the challenges that may come our way in the future and will strive to safeguard public health and maintain a clean and hygienic environment for the people of Hong Kong.
Cheuk Wing-hing
Director
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department