How to execute effective food safety control mechanism?TEAM membersWong Hong Mei 10406832Kwong Kwok Ho 10421963

Content • Introduction• The limitations of Hong Kong food safety control mechanism

and suggestions - Food Surveillance Programme - HACCP (Food Safety Plan) - Food import control

• Conclusion

Introduction• recent five years• 600 food poisoning incidents

every year in average • 2000 people are affected• 80% of the incidents because

of food business and food premises

• the effectiveness of the food safety control mechanism should be questioned

Brief summary•checking samples of imported, wholesale and retail food•testing bacteria, viruses, natural toxins, food additives, and contaminants•including routine food surveillance, targeted food surveillance and seasonal food surveillance•containing Introduction, Types of food tested, Types of testing, Overall results, Unsatisfactory samples, Follow up actions, Advice to the trade, and Advice to consumers in reports

Limitations and suggestions on Food Surveillance Programme

Limitations and suggestions on Food Surveillance ProgrammeLimitations•selecting sample randomly for non-homogenous food like hotpot soup base•conducting survey as suspected food poisoning case occurred•Simple survey report•without thorough testing, only known bacteria, viruses, natural toxins, food additives, and contaminants being tested•including plasticizer to be one of the tested items since Taiwan declared the harmfulness of absorbing plasticizer by human

Source: http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201106/01/P201106010169.htm

Limitations and suggestions on Food Surveillance ProgrammeSuggestions•abolishing the idea of random sampling and spot checking the suspected food unsafe restaurant or producers•listing out all ingredients of the tested food•referring to the magazine – Choice published by the Consumer Council•providing the sample list of the survey and the statistical figure of the test•pointing out how human body being harm by eating the certain amount of unsafe food

Source: http://the-sun.on.cc/channels/news/20071016/20071016030245_0000.htmlChoice magazine is published by the Consumer Council

Limitations and suggestions on HACCP (Food Safety Plan)

HACCP•analyzing hazards•determining critical control points•establishing standard of critical control points•establishing the monitoring procedures•establishing corrective actions•setting up verification procedures•establishing a record system

Food Safety Plan•listing out food safety problem at each step of food processing•identifying preventive measures and their control limits•establishing monitoring procedures •establishing corrective actions•keeping records•checking and reviewing

Brief summary•is called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point•preventing food safety problems•ensuring the production of safe food

Limitations and suggestions on HACCP (Food Safety Plan)Limitations•joining the plan in voluntary based•difficult to follow the content of the plan•needed to train or hire a skilled overall planner

Limitations and suggestions on HACCP (Food Safety Plan)Suggestions•should consider mandatory implementing the plan to all food service organization by legislation•providing training to restaurant staffs in order to help them to be skilled planner for Food Safety Plan•ensuring that the record can reflect the fact and be useful for Centre for Food Safety to chase the source of unsafe food

Limitations and suggestions on Food import controlBrief summary•over 80% imported food come from mainland China and a large proportion import from Guang Dong province•Related department - Customs and Excise Department (C&E), Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD)•Main inspection: Import of vegetable, Import of frozen or chilled meet and Import Inspection of Live Food Animals

Limitations and suggestions on Food import controlLimitations•harmful food delivered into Hong Kong market and bypass the import control•weak sense of critical handling (such as nuclear accident)

Limitations and suggestions on Food import controlSuggestions•keeping close cooperation with other law enforcement agencies like police and C&E. Intercept the doubtful goods transferred via land and sea•suggesting a comprehensive sampling test in various markets because outstanding food usually spread into wet market and small-scale stores but rarely appear in large-scale multiple store•practicing the urgent measure in 24 hours similar to nuclear accident•collaborating with international private lab test companies such as SGS, Intertek and Bureau Veritas

Conclusion• impossible to practice error-free policies• should try all the best to reinforce the current policies• preventing any harmful food and ingredient imported into

Hong Kong

THE ENDQ&A