Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ4: Chilled pork from the Mainland

     Following is a question by Hon Tommy Cheung�@and a reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (December 1):

 

Question:

 

     Since January 1, 2002, the Mainland authorities have lifted the export quota control over chilled meats for supply to Hong Kong, and have also abolished the restriction in relation to the granting of export business operating right and the sole agency system. However, I have learnt that so far no chilled pork has been allowed to be imported from the Mainland. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the reasons for that, and when chilled pork will be allowed to be imported from the Mainland?

 

Reply:

 

Madame President,

 

     Since the export quota control over chilled meats for supply to Hong Kong was abolished in 2002, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has engaged the Mainland authorities in a step-by-step negotiation over detailed inspection and quarantine arrangements for various types of meat. Chilled chickens from the Mainland were first imported to Hong Kong at the end of 2002 and a comprehensive inspection and quarantine mechanism for chilled chicken imports has now been put in place.

 

     Since April this year, FEHD has also actively engaged the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) in the discussion about chilled pork imports to Hong Kong. To obtain permission to supply chilled pork to Hong Kong, all chilled pork exporters (including the Mainland) must prove that their chilled pork meets the required hygiene standards by submitting the following information to FEHD in advance and passing through the vetting procedures:

 

(1)  the legislation regulating hygiene standards of meat;

(2)  animal disease situation;

(3)  training, qualification and international recognition of veterinary officers and inspection and quarantine officers;

(4)  facilities (including storage and transportation) and hygiene standards of farms, slaughterhouses and processing plants;

(5)  production process of pork intended for export (including details of both ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection and quarantine procedures, etc.);

(6)  issuing authority and accreditation details of health certificates; and

(7)  monitoring and regulation of veterinary drug residues.

 

     The FEHD visited four chilled pork processing plants and their associated farms in Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong and Shenzhen respectively in May. FEHD will continue to discuss with AQSIQ about the inspection and quarantine requirements for chilled pork intended for Hong Kong and prepare the relevant documents before setting down detailed import arrangements and timetable.

 

Ends/Wednesday, December 1, 2004

NNNN