Press Releases

SFH meets AQSIQ officials (with photo)

The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, visited Shenzhen this morning (February 25) and met with the Vice Minister of the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), Mr Pu Chang-cheng, to discuss issues relating to food safety.

During the meeting, Mr Pu said that in order to further enhance food safety and curb food inflation, the Central People's Government had launched a series of measures to deter activities contravening food safety regulations. He also pointed out that the Central People's Government would guarantee an adequate supply of food with good safety standards to Hong Kong.

As regards Hong Kong, Dr Chow told his Mainland counterparts that the first three consignments of imported chilled beef from the Mainland were well-received by Hong Kong consumers. He relayed to the Mainland authority the keen demand of Hong Kong citizens for Mainland chilled beef, hoping that the Mainland authority could recommend more chilled beef production enterprises.

In addition, Dr Chow said that the Food Safety Bill, which aims to further strengthen food safety control in Hong Kong, would be passed by the Legislative Council after its third reading in the first half of this year. Both sides agreed to organise briefings for officials of the AQSIQ and local Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau on Hong Kong's new regulations under the Food Safety Ordinance.

Also joining today's meeting were the Director General of the Import and Export Food Safety Bureau of the AQSIQ, Mr Yu Taiwei; and the Director-General of the Shenzhen Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Mr Liu Shengli; the Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Food), Mrs Marion Lai; the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Clement Leung; and the Controller of the Centre for Food Safety, Dr Constance Chan.


Ends/Friday, February 25, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:51

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