| Date |
Event |
| 7 January to 1 February |
The promotion phase of the Anti-rodent Campaign 2008 is launched, targeting markets and their surroundings. |
| 20 January to 2 February |
A delegation from the Centre for Food Safety conducts audit inspections on cattle and poultry slaughtering and processing plants and cattle farms in Argentina and Brazil. |
| 21 January |
The Nutrient Information Inquiry System of the Centre for Food Safety receives the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2007: Best Public Service Application (Most Favored) Silver Award. |
| 1 - 7 February |
Lunar New Year Fairs are held in 12 districts. |
| 1 February |
The Centre for Food Safety launches the Rapid Alert System to enhance communication with the trade about food incidents and to facilitate prompt and appropriate action by traders. |
| 4 - 21 February |
Che Kung Festival Fair is held in Sha Tin. |
| 7 - 21 February |
Fong Ma Po Fair is held in Tai Po. |
| 14 February |
The Quarantine Detector Dog Programme is launched. Quarantine detector dogs are deployed at various border control points to detect raw meat and poultry being brought in illegally by travellers. |
| 25 February to 20 March |
The first phase of the Anti-mosquito Campaign 2008 is launched to arouse public awareness and encourage community participation in mosquito control and prevention. |
| 17 March |
The Centre for Food Safety co-organises the "Workshop on Nutrition Labelling" in Macao with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of the Macao SAR Government and the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General of the European Commission. At the Workshop, representatives from Hong Kong, EU and Macao and other experts share experience and updated information on nutrition labelling. |
| 5 April |
The Disease Response Unit obtains ISO 9001:2000 certification on provision of investigation service for vector-borne diseases (dengue fever, malaria and Japanese encephalitis) in Hong Kong. |
| 14 - 17 April |
The Centre for Food Safety participates in the Government Pavilion at the International ICT Expo 2008. |
| 16 April |
The Centre for Food Safety releases findings of its study on mercury in fish and food safety. |
| 22 April |
A series of food safety seminars for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events for operators of food premises in Sha Tin, North and Yau Tsim starts. |
| 22 - 26 April |
A delegation from the Centre for Food Safety conducts audit inspections on chicken slaughtering and processing plants, poultry eggs processing plants, pig slaughtering plants and poultry farms in Thailand. |
| 28 April |
The Centre for Food Safety runs a media workshop to reinforce collaboration with the media. |
| 28 April to 4 July |
The second phase of the Anti-mosquito Campaign 2008 commences, focusing on the importance of eliminating breeding places during the rainy season. |
| 1 May |
The Centre for Food Safety launches the second stage of the pre-statutory voluntary registration scheme for importers and distributors of food, to facilitate tracing the source of food and taking follow-up action in case of food incident. |
| 13 May to 8 August |
The enhancement phase of the Anti-rodent Campaign 2008 is launched to strengthen rodent control work in markets, hawker bazaars/fixed pitches, food premises and adjacent lanes, public cargo working areas and other problematic spots susceptible to persistent rodent problems. |
| 14 May |
The Centre for Food Safety and the Consumer Council release results of a joint study on trans fats in local food. |
| 19 - 27 May |
An FEHD team joins the HKSAR public health professional team to provide assistance in environmental hygiene control at Yingxiu Town of Sichuan after the earthquake. |
| 23 May |
Pest Control Advisory Section started to provide advice on pest control to the Equestrian Company for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events. |
| 28 May |
The Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) (Amendment: Requirements for Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claim) Regulation 2008 is passed in the Legislative Council and will come into effect on 1 July 2010. |
| 7 June |
Faecal samples from poultry stalls at Po On Road Market in Sham Shui Po are tested positive of H5N1 avian influenza virus. More than 2,000 poultry in the Market are culled. |
| 8 June |
Imports of live poultry and birds from the Mainland are suspended for 21 days after H5N1 avian influenza virus has been found in chicken faecal samples collected from the Po On Road Market. |
| 9 June |
The live poultry retail outlet rest day is advanced from 11 June to 9 June for thorough cleaning and disinfection of retail outlets. All unsold poultry in the retail outlets are slaughtered. |
| 11 June |
Environmental samples from Luen Wo Hui Market, Yan Oi Market, Ap Lei Chau Market and Po On Road Market are tested positive of H5N1 avian influenza virus. To prevent possible spread of the virus, the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation declares all live poultry retail outlets as infected places and orders culling of all poultry in the retail outlets. Imports of live poultry from the Mainland and dispatching of live poultry from local farms are to be suspended for 21 days. |
| 25 June to 9 July |
All live poultry stalls and fresh provision shops selling live poultry are inspected by FEHD and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department officers to ensure they are suitable for receiving live poultry and resumption of sale. |
| 27 June |
The Centre for Food Safety issues "Technical Guidance Notes on Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claims" and "Method Guidance Notes on Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claims", to assist the trade and the laboratory service providers to understand and comply with the Nutrition Labelling Scheme. Trade workshops are conducted between July and September. |
| 29 June |
Food Safety Day 2008 with the theme "Five Keys to Food Safety" is held at Tuen Mun Town Plaza. Roving exhibitions are organised throughout the territory from June to September. |
| 1 July |
The Preservatives in Food (Amendment) Regulation 2008 comes into effect. The trade has two years to prepare for the changes brought about by the amendment regulation. |
| 2 July |
The order made by Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation to declare all live poultry retail outlets as infected places is lifted. Supply of live poultry to retail outlets resumes. |
| 2 July |
The Food Business (Amendment) Regulation 2008 comes into effect. All live poultry at retail outlets must be slaughtered before 8 pm daily and no live poultry is allowed to be kept on these premises overnight. |
| 3 July |
The Centre for Food Safety holds a ceremony in which members of the food trade sign the Food Safety Charter to promote the Five Keys to Food Safety to their staff, fellow members and customers. |
| 9 July |
A series of food hygiene seminars for operators of licensed food premises and the public is organised throughout the territory from July to September. |
| 14 July |
The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approves the funding of over $600 million for implementing a buyout scheme for live poultry retailers. Live poultry retailers can surrender the permission to sell live poultry on a voluntary basis in exchange for an ex-gratia payment. The scheme also offers a one-off grant to assist workers affected. |
| 1 August |
Aldrich Bay Market is commissioned. |
| 11 August to 3 October |
The third phase of the Anti-mosquito Campaign 2008 is launched to highlight the risk of dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis and sustain community effort in controlling the vectors. |
| 22 August |
After the last medal event of the Equestrian Events, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang states that the target of zero food poisoning has been attained. |
| 23 August |
The Centre for Food Safety conducts the Consumers Liaison Group Inauguration Ceremony for the second term, which spans from August 2008 to July 2010. |
| 1 September |
The new Wan Chai Market is commissioned to replace the old Wan Chai Market. |
| 9 September |
The FEHD participates in the 7th Hong Kong Occupational Safety and Health Award organised by the Occupational Safety and Health Council with the entry on "Installation of Equipment to Assist Reversing of Vehicles" winning the Meritorious Award under the category "Safety Enhancement Program Award". |
| 14 September |
The Centre for Food Safety closely monitors the incident of the Mainland Sanlu brand of infant formula tainted with melamine and collects samples of milk powder that are manufactured in Mainland for examination. All samples are free from melamine. |
| 16 September |
The first sample, a yogurt flavoured ice bar, is found to contain trace amount of melamine. An enquiry hotline on melamine is set up. |
| 17 September |
Starts daily uploading of test results of food products on melamine onto the website of the Centre for Food Safety. |
| 23 September |
The Harmful Substances in Food (Amendment) Regulation 2008 is enacted to set the legal limits of melamine in food. |
| 24 September |
Application period for the buyout scheme for live poultry retailers closes. |
| 15 October |
The Department wins The Ombudsman's Award 2008 for Public Organisations. |
| 21 October to 1 November |
A Centre for Food Safety delegation conducts audit inspections to cattle, pig and poultry slaughtering and processing plants, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy testing laboratory, and cattle, pig, game and chicken farms in the United Kingdom and Poland. |
| 24 October |
The Public Health and Municipal Services (Amendment) Bill 2008 is gazetted. It proposes to empower the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene to make orders administratively to prohibit the import and supply of problem food, and direct food supplied be recalled, to ensure food safety and protect public health. |
| 1 November |
The cooked food centre inside Aldrich Bay Market is commissioned. |
| 20 November |
Representatives of the Food and Health Bureau and the Department meet in Shenzhen with representatives of the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureaux from Guangdong, Shenzhen and Zhuhai as well as representatives from the Civic Municipal Affairs Bureau and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of Macao to discuss health, animal and plant quarantine and food safety control issues. |
| 1 December |
Announcement of the extension of the voluntary surrender scheme for itinerant hawker licence holders for one year to 31 December 2009. |
| 1 December |
The Colouring Matter in Food (Amendment) Regulation 2008 repealing Red 2G from the list of permitted colouring matters comes into effect. |
| 1 - 2 December |
A Veterinary Public Health Workshop on "Import Control on Fish and Fishery Products" is held with experts from the Mainland, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Food Safety Authority as speakers. |
| 9 - 12 December |
A joint workshop on Total Diet Study organised by the Centre for Food Safety and the World Health Organization is held in Hong Kong. |
| 10 - 29 December |
Importation of live poultry and birds from the Mainland is suspended for 21 days after confirmation of a case of H5N1 avian influenza in a farm in Yuen Long. |
| 15 December |
The Centre for Food Safety and the Consumer Council release results of a joint study on the microbiological quality of rice and noodles in Hong Kong. |
