Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ9: Regulation of ice making plants
Following is a question by Dr Hon David Chu and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (November 6):
Question:
It was reported that the hygiene conditions of a local ice-making plant were unsatisfactory and coliform was detected in the ice particles it produced. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:
(a) inspections have been conducted by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department on all ice-making plants in the territory; if so, of the number of inspections in the past year;
(b) any ice-making plant has been prosecuted for producing ice particles that contain bacteria or for poor hygiene conditions; if so, of the number of such prosecutions; and
(c) consideration will be given to introducing legislative amendments to require ice-making plants to obtain a food business licence, so as to strengthen the regulation of such plants?
Reply:
(a) & (b) As the making of ice-cubes is currently not a form of business regulated by the Food Business Regulation, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has not carried out inspections to ice-making plants; nor has the Department instituted any prosecution against such plants in the past. Notwithstanding this, the Administration is closely monitoring the safety of edible ice for drinks at the retail end. Section 62 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance empowers FEHD officers to take samples of any substance that may be used in the preparation of food or drinks for bacteriological examination. In 2002, 36 samples of ice cubes were thus far taken from restaurants and other food premises for testing and all results were satisfactory.
(c) FEHD is reviewing the regulatory framework including the need to introduce legislative amendments for ice-making plants intended for human consumption in the interest of food safety and protection of public health.
END/Wednesday, November 6, 2002
NNNN