Permanent Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Carrie Yau says the Government will review the food regulatory infrastructure and complementary facilities to cope with developments in the testing and regulatory mechanism.

Speaking at the Inaugural Meeting of Steering Group on Safe Food Supply to Hong Kong in Beijing today, Mrs Yau said the Government will join Mainland departments to study ways to better the regulatory mechanism.

They are considering widening the scope of imported food that needs to be accompanied with health certificates, putting more categories of food under regulation and control, and open up new modes of food testing.

Legislative work

At today's meeting, Hong Kong health officials told their Mainland counterparts that the food safety bill now being drafted will integrate the existing laws regulating food safety.

It will bring under regulation food which has higher safety risk or of wide public concern, including farmed aquatic products, vegetables and fruit. To comply with the legislative requirements, the Mainland and other exporting countries have to provide health certificates for their food supplies to Hong Kong.

The city will also introduce a more comprehensive and clearer subsidiary legislation to impose control on the standard of pesticide residues. The standard on preservatives in food will be categorised based on food types to enhance regulatory transparency and meet international standards. Farmers and manufacturers from the Mainland and other exporting countries will have to meet the new standard.

Fish supply control

The Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau will further impose controls on live freshwater fish suppled to Hong Kong. It will put seals on Mainland fishing vessels transporting fish to Hong Kong. The new measure will be implemented in the coming months.