The Centre for Food Safety (CFS), established in 2006, is tasked to enhance food safety regulation, in order to protect public health and raise public confidence in food safety. It comprises four divisions: Risk Management Division, Risk Assessment and Communication Division, Corporate and System Management Division and Centre Administration Division.
The Risk Management Division is the operational arm responsible for food safety assurance. Its duties include food surveillance, enforcement, management of food incidents (including investigation of food poisoning outbreaks at food premises), food import control and export certification, as well as conducting inspections and tests on live food animals. The Risk Assessment and Communication Division is the research and development arm responsible for conducting risk assessment, advising on food standards and providing food safety information to the public as well as the food industry. The Corporate and System Management Division is responsible for formulating long term strategies for information technology-enabled business transformation and mapping out strategic proposals on re-engineering business processes, operational procedures and information management, with a view to developing computerised systems that can better support data analysis and risk profiling. The Centre Administration Division provides administrative support to the Centre.
Safety Control of Imported Food
As most of our food comes from outside Hong Kong, import control is an important part of the CFS' work.
The control process - comprising a pre-entry assurance system, checking of import documents and surveillance at import control points - mainly applies to certain categories of high-risk food, such as game, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and frozen confections.
Statistics on Imported Food in 2023
| Applications approved for import licence for frozen/ chilled meat and poultry | 54,242 |
| Applications approved for import permission for game, meat, poultry and eggs | 1,326 |
| Applications approved for import permission for milk and milk products | 464 |
| Applications approved for import permission for frozen confections | 556 |
| Targeted inspections of food trucks at food control points | 12,678 |
Part of the day-to-day task of ensuring food safety involves close liaison with consulates, the Mainland and overseas food authorities, importers, the Customs and Excise Department and other relevant organisations.
Import control measures on Japanese food
The Japanese Government announced on 22 August 2023 that the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water would commence on 24 August 2023.
On 23 August 2023, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order (the Order) which took effect on the following day to prohibit the import of aquatic products originating from 10 metropolis/prefectures of Japan. According to the Order, all aquatic products originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, are prohibited from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong if they are harvested, manufactured, processed or packed on or after 24 August 2023, including all live, frozen, chilled, dried or otherwise preserved aquatic products, sea salt, and unprocessed or processed seaweed. For other aquatic products, sea salt, and unprocessed or processed seaweed from Japan that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, if they are selected for inspection by the CFS of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, a release letter issued by the CFS in respect of the selected products should be obtained upon completion of clearance procedures on radiation testing before they are allowed to be supplied in Hong Kong.
Besides, Hong Kong will maintain import control measures on certain food products from Japan. All vegetables, fruits, milk, milk beverages and dried milk originating from Fukushima are banned from importing into Hong Kong while such foods originating from the four prefectures nearby Fukushima, i.e. Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba and Gunma, are allowed to be imported on the condition that they are accompanied with a radiation certificate and an exporter certificate issued by the Japanese authority. Chilled or frozen game, meat and poultry, and poultry eggs originating from the above five prefectures are allowed to be imported on the condition that they are accompanied with a radiation certificate issued by the Japanese authority which shows the radiation levels do not exceed the Codex guideline levels of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
Apart from prohibiting aquatic products of relevant metropolis/prefectures from being imported into Hong Kong, the CFS will perform its gatekeeping role at the import level and continue enhancing the testing on imported Japanese food to achieve dual protection. Specifically, for aquatic products, sea salt, and unprocessed or processed seaweed from Japan that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the CFS will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market. The CFS will also enhance tests on relevant processed food.
In 2023, the CFS conducted tests on the radiological level of about 42,000 samples of food imported from Japan (including about 25,000 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt). None of the samples have exceeded the guideline level of Codex.
With the view to enabling members of the public to have a better grasp of the latest safety information on imported Japanese food products, since the commencement of the discharge on 24 August 2023, the EEB has been making public announcements every working day regarding the radiological testing results of the imported food from Japan.
Further, the CFS has been maintaining close liaison with the relevant local trades (including importers of Japanese food products and catering operators) to enable them to be better informed of the latest position of the discharge plan and the possible import control measures which the Government may implement to safeguard food safety. The CFS will continue to engage the trade and relevant stakeholders to explain the latest import control measures on Japanese food.
Food Surveillance and Handling Food Complaints
Continuous monitoring, testing and law enforcement by the CFS are keys to ensuring the safety of Hong Kong’s food supplies. Food samples are tested by the CFS at every stage in the supply process: from import and manufacture to wholesale and retail.
In 2023, the CFS tested about 65,000 samples of food, about nine samples for every 1,000 people in Hong Kong.
Food samples undergo microbiological examinations, chemical analyses and radiation level tests for the CFS to assess their conformity to legal standards and labelling requirements.
The Man Kam To Food Laboratory provides expeditious and comprehensive testing services for agricultural produce imported mainly from the Mainland. The testing services are:
- Analysis of pesticide residues in fresh vegetables and fruits. The tests cover isocarbophos, methamidophos and other organophosphorous pesticides, N-methyl carbamates and pyrethroids.
- Analysis of pesticide residues in cereal and grains. The tests cover isocarbophos, methamidophos and other organophosphorous pesticides, N-methyl carbamates and pyrethroids.
- Analysis of veterinary drug residues and melamine in raw milk. The tests cover aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, chloramphenicol, ceftiofur, lincomycin, macrolides, polypeptides, quinolones, sulfonamides, synthetic hormones, tetracyclines and trimethoprim.
Enforcement actions are taken by the CFS against unsatisfactory surveillance results. Apart from assessing the risk of specific foods and formulating food safety strategies, the CFS also reviews and analyses regularly data collected through the Food Surveillance Programme for its topical studies.
In 2023, a total of 6,903 food complaints were handled.
Statistics on the Food Surveillance Programme in 2023
(A) Testing of food samples
| Testing | Number of samples# | Number of satisfactory samples |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical | 44,359 | 44,278 (99.8%) |
| Microbiological | 16,408 | 16,390 (99.9%) |
| Radiation level | 4,271 | 4,271 (100%) |
# Excluding 42,160 samples of imported Japanese food tested for radiation level in 2023.
(B) Enforcement of food labelling
| Food labels inspected | 55,208 |
| Prosecutions taken out | 155 |
Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Programme on Food
The Government launched the "Hong Kong Strategy and Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (2017-2022)" (Action Plan) to provide a list of actions and activities to contain the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Hong Kong. The CFS has been conducting a routine surveillance programme on AMR in food since January 2022. More than 2,000 food samples including raw meat and ready-to-eat food have been collected at retail level for testing during the surveillance period of 2022-2023.
Management of Food Incidents
The CFS monitors food incidents, both local and overseas, on a daily basis. Around 3,500 food incidents were identified from the Food Incident Surveillance System (FISS) during the year. The CFS will consider various factors such as risk to consumers, local regulations and availability of the concerned food product to decide on the most appropriate risk management actions.
Besides, the CFS will communicate with related health authorities, importers, distributors and retailers on food incidents. If necessary, the CFS will take actions such as requesting the trade to stop sale, conducting tests as and when appropriate, warning the trade concerned and directing recall of the products in question. The CFS will issue rapid alert to traders to inform them of the latest situation. It will also issue press releases to give advice to consumers if the food incidents are of public health concern to the local population. "Food Incident Post" might also be issued on the CFS website if it is anticipated that related food products might be acquired through e-trade, travel, or other personal channels. A total of 63 trade alerts, 69 press releases on food incidents and 540 food incident posts were issued by the CFS in 2023.
Staffed by doctors and nurses, the Food Incidents Response and Management Unit of the Risk Management Section, in collaboration with the Centre for Health Protection, investigates outbreaks of food poisoning and food-borne infectious diseases at food premises, identifies the contributing factors and assists in tracing the sources of suspected food. The unit also educates the food handlers about food, personal and environmental hygiene. A total of 299 visits cum investigations to food premises involved in food incidents were carried out by the unit in 2023. The most commonly implicated causative agents in food poisoning outbreaks related to food premises were Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens. The three most frequently identified contributing factors in descending order were raw food consumed, contamination by raw food and improper holding temperature.
Implementation of Food Safety Ordinance
The Food Safety Ordinance (Chapter 612) (the Ordinance), provides for a food tracing mechanism to help the Government trace the source of the food more effectively and take prompt action when dealing with food incidents. Food importers and distributors, other than those who have already registered or obtained a licence under other ordinances listed at Schedule 1 to the Ordinance, have to register with the Department. By the end of 2023, there were 11,512 registered food importers and 9,423 registered food distributors. The Ordinance also provides power for the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene to make food safety orders to prohibit the import and supply of problem food and order the recall of such food.
Food Trader Portal
With the opening of user accounts on the Food Trader Portal (FTP), food traders can receive food safety and import control notifications electronically and perform various tasks online such as trader registration, renewal of registration and updating of trader information.
To tie in with the development of e-business and big data era, the FTP interfaced with the Government Trade Single Window (TSW) in May 2023. Food trader with registered accounts in both the TSW and the FTP may link up the two accounts for more convenient handling of issues concerning the application for food import and export documents.
In December 2023, online application service for recommendation on food manufacturer registration to the Mainland Customs was launched on the FTP to assist local food manufacturers in the export of the specified 18 categories of food products to the Mainland.
Food Safety Control of Live Food Animals
The Veterinary Public Health Section (VPHS) and the Slaughterhouse (Veterinary) Section are mainly responsible for import control of live food animals and conducting surveillance programmes on veterinary drug residues and diseases with public health significance in relation to live food animals.
Implementing the concept of "from farm to table", veterinary staff members visit registered farms exporting to Hong Kong to understand their husbandry practices. In 2023, a mixed mode of on-site inspections for some farms and document assessments for other farms were conducted by VPHS in regard to the post-COVID-19 epidemic arrangement to survey the latest situation of 55 registered and associated farms in the Mainland. These included farms of poultry, pigs, cattle, goat and aquatic food animals.
Number of local and imported food animals inspected in 2023
| Type of animal | No. of animals inspected (inspected in slaughterhouse) | No. of animal health certificates verified |
|---|---|---|
| Pigs |
1,133,764 |
26,315 health certificates for imported pigs and |
| Cattle |
10,968 |
1,170 health certificates |
| Goats |
770 |
7 health certificates |
The Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Chemical Residues) Regulation (Cap 139N) prohibits the use of certain chemicals, including clenbuterol, and restricts the residue levels of a number of chemicals in food animals. In 2023, 29,613 samples were collected by the CFS from food animals for testing of veterinary drug residues. During the same year, no pig urine sample was tested positive for prohibited chemicals. No tissue sample was tested positive for restricted chemicals.
The Quarantine Detector Dog Unit assists in interdicting illegal import of raw meat and eggs at all land boundary control points. These are hand-carried by inbound passengers or brought in by trucks. The unit serves to safeguard public health by preventing the import of meat and eggs from unknown sources into Hong Kong, as they may contain contagious and zoonotic pathogens such as E. coli O157 and avian influenza. There are seven quarantine detector dogs in the unit.
For the export of food products of animal origin, 1,800 veterinary health certificates were issued by the CFS in 2023. They covered products such as ice cream, mooncakes, Chinese dim sum, milk beverages, instant noodle, frozen meat products, frozen poultry products, fishery products and ready-to-eat soup, which were exported to the Mainland, Macao, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and USA.
Risk Assessment
In a risk-based food safety control model, risk assessment forms the scientific basis of risk management and risk communication. It includes systematic estimation and evaluation of the likelihood and severity of the adverse health effects resulting from exposure to food-borne hazards based on the best available scientific evidence. A typical risk assessment consists of four steps - hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment and risk characterisation.
The CFS’ risk assessment work mainly consists of researches, projects and literature studies. Amongst them, information on food consumption, such as the types and amount of food consumed by the Hong Kong population, is crucial for local food safety risk assessment. The CFS completed the Food Consumption Survey in the Younger Population and released the report in December 2023.
During the year, the CFS also launched the Second Hong Kong Total Diet Study to estimate the dietary exposure to food chemicals for various population groups and assess their associated health risks. It facilitates the CFS to focus resources on food chemicals that may pose the highest risks to public health.
Regarding the risk assessment projects, the CFS released the results of six projects in 2023, namely: "Microbiological Quality of Ready-to-eat Food Sold by Vending Machine", "Methoxychlor (MXC) in Food", "Microbiological Quality of Non-hot Served Dishes with Chicken Meat", "Industrially-Produced Trans Fatty Acids Content in Prepackaged and Non-Prepackaged food", "Sodium Content in Chinese Congee" and "Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food".
Nutrition Labelling
In order to help the trade and laboratory service providers understand and comply with the nutrition labelling requirements under the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations (Cap 132W), the CFS provides online resources (including technical guidance notes, trade guidelines, frequently asked questions, Nutrition Label Calculator.), telephone hotline and helpdesk service to traders. Besides, the CFS organises publicity programmes relating to nutrition labels for various sectors of the community through different means including social media platform.
Nutrient Information Inquiry System
The Nutrient Information Inquiry System (NIIS) is a web-based database containing nutrient information (including information about energy and some 20 nutrients) on food items which are of relevance and interest to the local community. It is available free of charge, and has two functions: a Food Nutrient Finder (for browsing and searching for information about a specific food or nutrient) and a Food Nutrient Calculator (for estimating the nutrient intake from selected foods using the available data from NIIS). The information provided can help consumers make healthier food choices.
Food Standards
Setting food standards is an integral part of risk management in food safety. In setting new local food standards, the CFS takes reference from international food standards established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, scientific evaluations performed by internationally recognised authorities such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations/ WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the Joint FAO/ WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR), as well as practices in other jurisdictions.
The Government conducted a public consultation on the proposed amendments to the Preservative in Food Regulation (Cap. 132BD) from 29 May 2023 to 30 September 2023. The proposed amendments aim to align local and international food safety standards, enhance consumer protection, and facilitate food trade. The Government will report the results of the public consultation and the updates of the proposed amendments to the Legislative Council after collating the views received.
Risk Communication
Effective communication with stakeholders, as well as tripartite collaboration among the food trade, the public and the Government, are vital in upholding food safety in Hong Kong. There is a dedicated Communication Resource Unit (CRU) under the CFS to provide information on food safety risks to the public and the food trade. During the year, apart from making available on-loan teaching kits, exhibition boards and audio-visual resources, the CRU also conducted 156 educational talks and 36 roving exhibitions. The CFS also regularly conducts Trade Consultation Forum that allows the Centre and the food trade to exchange views on food safety matters and control measures throughout the year.
The CFS has launched thematic websites for the public and trade, named "Safe Food for All" (cfs.gov.hk/safefood) and "Safe Kitchen" (cfs.gov.hk/safekitchen) respectively, to actively promote the "Five Keys to Food Safety" and the adoption of "Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs), which are scientifically proven measures to reduce the incidence of foodborne diseases. The websites provide a convenient one-stop access to educational and training materials, with images and short videos to explain the concepts in an easy-to-understand approach. In addition, the CFS has launched a new website "Safe Food at School" (cfs.gov.hk/school) this year to help schools and childcare facilities build a comprehensive food safety programme by identifying potential hazards specific to their setting, and emphasizing the importance of proper personal, food and environmental hygiene to school food handlers and staff.
The Harmful Substances in Food (Amendment) Regulation 2021 (the Amendment Regulation) was passed by the Legislative Council in July 2021, and came into force in two phases - the provisions relating to specifying partially hydrogenated oil as a prohibited substance in food and the related marking and labelling requirement came into operation on 1 December 2023, and all other provisions came into operation on 1 June 2023. The CFS has communicated with food businesses on the Amendment Regulation through various means including publicity materials and meetings with the trade.
The CFS started its year-round Food Safety Day 2023 campaign in June under the theme "Like Love, Food Safety is No Accident–Practise Five Keys Now! " reminding the food trade and the public on the importance of the Five Keys to Food Safety to ensure safe handling and preparation of food, whether in food service establishments or at home. Various educational and promotional activities including a designated webpage, social media posts, press releases, posters, pamphlets, market banners, and online videos were launched to raise awareness of the food trade and the public on simple actions that can prevent foodborne illnesses.
The Risk Communication Section has also implemented several strategies to keep the public and the trade informed of food safety issues in a timely and proactive manner. Examples are the "Rapid Alert System" that can promptly deliver messages to the food trade explaining food incidents, the monthly electronic publication "Food Safety Focus" posted on the CFS website and the quarterly publications of "Food Safety Bulletin" and "Food Safety Express" which target the general public and the trade respectively.
Summary of Risk Communication Activities in 2023
| Item | 2023 figures |
|---|---|
| No. of educational/publicity programmes organised | 18 |
| No. of resource materials produced | 56 |
| Total attendance at public education/communication activities | 84,978 |
| No. of public enquiries handled | 4,773 |
| No. of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) seminars/workshops | 33 |
| No. of followers/subscribers on CFS' social media platforms | 41,942 |
| No. of e-news issued | 24 |
| Seasonal Food Surveillance |
|---|
| Lunar New Year food |
| Rice dumplings |
| Mooncakes |
| Hairy crabs |
| Lap-mei |
| Poon choi |
| Targeted Food Surveillance |
|---|
| Summer Food Surveillance (including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella, Coagulase-positive staphylococci organisms, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens in Ready-to-eat Food) |
| Sulphur dioxide in meat |
The CFS devises promotional programmes for specific trade sectors, including "poon choi" suppliers, caterers for elderly homes, schools and child-care centres, and food premises selling siu mei, supplying lunch boxes, sushi, sashimi, raw oyster, meat to be eaten raw and frozen confections. Workshops and seminars are organised for the staff and training materials are provided.
World Health Organization Collaborating Centre
The CFS has been designated as a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre (WHOCC) for Risk Analysis of Chemicals in Food since October 2010 and was last redesignated in October 2022 for four years till 2026. As a WHOCC, the CFS continues to contribute to the WHO's work on public health, especially in relation to food safety in the region, and supports WHO's activities in the designated areas.