Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ9: Food safety of canned luncheon meat

     Following is a question by the Hon Fred Li and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (March 10):

 

Question:

 

     It has been reported that a food factory in Sichuan Province has recently been found selling to the Jinzhou Cannery processed rotten pork as the raw material for canned food, and the Cannery has produced some batches of canned luncheon meat of a certain brand which is sold in Hong Kong.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

 

(a) given that the relevant local authorities have set up a reciprocal notification mechanism on food safety matters with the relevant mainland authorities, whether the former have been notified by the latter of the above incident; if they have, of the details of the notification; if not, the reasons for that;

 

(b) whether it has enquired with the relevant mainland departments and importers regarding the details of the incident and the source of the luncheon meat of that brand on sale in Hong Kong;

 

(c) whether it has, in view of the above report, conducted more laboratory sample tests on the canned luncheon meat of various brands; if it has, of the test results; and

 

(d) whether it conducts laboratory sample tests on the quality of canned food on a regular basis; if so, of the number of sample tests on each type of canned food every year?

 

Reply:

 

Madam President,

 

(a)    Under the existing notification and liaison arrangement on food safety between Hong Kong and the Mainland, the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) will immediately notify the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) if there is any problem related to food products for export to Hong Kong.  Both sides will also maintain close contact on any related matters.  As there was no evidence indicating that the reported incident was related to food products for export to Hong Kong, AQSIQ did not inform FEHD immediately.  Nevertheless, when FEHD enquired the Mainland authorities on the issue, they had followed up the case and provided the relevant information immediately. 

 

(b)    In response to the reports on the issue, FEHD immediately contacted the Hong Kong importer and was given to understand that the Jinzhou Canned Food Factory (JZ) did not purchase any dead pigs or any processed rotten pork from the Sichuan workshop in question for processing, and had no business dealing with the workshop.  To probe further into the matter, FEHD contacted AQSIQ, which replied that all raw materials used by JZ came from registered and formal meat plants.  AQSIQ stressed that both the canned food and food products containing sausages exported to Hong Kong were manufactured and processed under the supervision of the respective local inspection and quarantine authorities to ensure safety and compliance with the relevant standards.

 

(c)    In response to the media reports, FEHD immediately conducted sampling of different brands of canned luncheon meat available in the local market for testing.  Test results showed that no pathogen was found. 

 

(d)    FEHD conducts regular sampling of canned processed food for testing under the regular food surveillance programme.  In 2003, FEHD had taken 118 samples for chemical analyses and microbiological examinations.  All test results are satisfactory. 

 

Ends/Wednesday, March 10, 2004

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