Press Releases
Mainland processing plants supplying chilled beef to Hong Kong increased to six
A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) announced today (January
10) that the number of processing plants in the Mainland eligible to supply
chilled beef to Hong Kong has been increased from one to six. The additional
five processing plants are located in Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and
Chongqing respectively.
To ensure food safety, all chilled beef imported from the Mainland must come
from the processing plants registered for export of chilled beef under the
State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and
Quarantine (AQSIQ). These processing plants are recommended by the AQSIQ to
the Centre for Food Safety (CFS), with further on-site and audit inspections
conducted by CFS staff to ensure compliance with the relevant food hygiene
and safety requirements.
"In December 2010, the FHB reached an agreement with the AQSIQ on the
arrangement for the import of Mainland chilled beef into Hong Kong. Since
then, both sides have been in active discussion with a view to increasing
the number of eligible processing plants supplying chilled beef to Hong
Kong. The five aforesaid processing plants were recommended by the AQSIQ.
The CFS has completed its inspection of the processing plants and their
respective cattle farms to ensure compliance with the relevant food hygiene
and safety standards," the spokesman said.
"The import of chilled beef from the Mainland is conducive to stabilising
the supply of beef in Hong Kong, thus maintaining food prices at a stable
level."
Detailed information about the six processing plants in the Mainland
eligible for supplying chilled beef to Hong Kong is available on the CFS
website (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/links/links_rs/links_rs.html).
The Government strives to maintain the openness and competitiveness of the
local non-staple food market. To this end, the FHB has been actively seeking
to increase food sources so as to diversify food types. At present, chilled
pork, chilled chicken and other chilled poultry meat (including geese, duck
and pigeon) are imported from the Mainland into Hong Kong.
Importers who are interested in importing chilled beef from the Mainland can
proceed with the application for import by obtaining an application form at
the Food Importer/Distributor Registration and Import Licensing Office of
CFS in Room 119, 1/F, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, or by downloading the
form from the CFS website
www.cfs.gov.hk/english/public/public_fi/files/fehb161.pdf. Enquiries can
be made on 2156 3012.
Ends/Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:01
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