Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ1: Pet food
Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today
(May 14):
Question:
Earlier on, the Consumer Council (CC) conducted a sampling test on dry pet food
sold in the market, results of which indicated the presence of harmful
substances (including carcinogen aflatoxin B1 or contaminants of melamine and
cyanuric acid) in some of the samples. CC has stated that long-term intake of
aflatoxin B1 by animals could increase their risk of liver impairment and tumors
in liver of animals whilst intake of both melamine and cyanuric acid may lead to
formation of crystals, resulting in blockage of tubules in kidneys that may
cause acute renal failure in animals. In this connection, will the Government
inform this Council:
(1) whether there is currently other legislation, apart from the Trade
Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362), requiring manufacturers of pet feed and dry
pet food (including "complementary and complete feed" and "feed materials") to
label the following on the packaging of their products: (i) ingredient table,
(ii) best-before date, (iii) place of origin, (iv) recommended daily quantity of
feed and (v) age range of pets for which the product is suitable; if so, of the
details, and the date on which the relevant legislation was last amended; if
not, the reasons for that; whether it will consider amending the legislation to
introduce such requirements;
(2) whether there are currently relevant legislation or standards regulating the
food safety of pet feed and dry pet food (including ceilings on the contents of
harmful substances); if so, of the details, and the date on which such
legislation or standards were last updated; if not, the reasons for that;
whether it will consider amending the relevant legislation to impose such
regulation;
(3) given that some loose-pack pet food sold in the market do not have their
composition and safety information marked on the packaging, whether the
authorities have put in place any mechanism for regulating the package
descriptions of loose-pack pet food; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons
for that;
(4) given that the Secretary for Food and Health, in reply to a written question
from a member of this Council on March 28, 2012, indicated that the Agriculture,
Fisheries and Conservation Department would take the initiative to seek
information on the quality of pet food products from the importers or
distributors concerned where necessary, whether any government department was
responsible in the past three years for (i) collecting overseas and local
information regarding the safety of pet food, (ii) conducting sampling tests on
the safety levels of pet food sold in the market, and (iii) verifying the
accuracy of the package descriptions of such food as well as taking the
necessary follow-up actions; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for
that;
(5) whether the authorities or CC received any complaint about pet food in the
past two years; if so, of the number of such complaints; and
(6) whether it has considered setting up a channel for disseminating information
(such as a reporting mechanism in respect of pet food incidents) so that members
of the public can be expeditiously informed of the pet food which may have
problems and they may stop feeding their pets with such food; if so, of the
details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
At present, we are not aware of any large-scale commercial enterprise in Hong
Kong which produces pet food. Some pet owners may choose to prepare food for
their pets from fresh ingredients. In recent years, we see a growing tendency
for pet owners to feed their pets with processed and pre-packaged food readily
available in the market. As pet animals often feed on one single food item on a
long-term basis, pet food producers usually employ veterinary surgeons and
animal nutritionists to develop different food products which will provide a
balanced diet for different types of animals. This is to ensure that the pet
food products are suitable for long-term consumption by pet animals and are able
to sustain the pets' healthy growth and living.
My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
(1), (2) and (3) Unlike the case of food for human consumption, there are
currently no specific safety standards for pet food commonly recognised by
international organisations for reference. Producers mainly rely on the
professional advice of individual experts or use standards drawn up by
individual countries as reference. In most cases, the pet food sold in Hong Kong
is compound formula food imported from the United States, Europe and Australia.
As pet food producing countries or regions, they have their own regulatory
regimes for the production, quality control and description of ingredients of
pet food. For instance, the European Union (EU) has enacted specific laws on
animal food. The United States has in place a single regime governing food for
both human and animal consumption. In Australia and Canada, self-regulation by
the trade is practised. Different jurisdictions have developed different
regulatory approaches according to their own needs. Major pet food producing
countries usually have more stringent regulations. Where necessary, the
Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) will proactively seek
information on the quality of pet food products from the importers or
distributors concerned. Pet owners who wish to know more about the particulars
of pet food or the needs of individual pets may seek such information from
distributors or veterinary surgeons.
In most cases, pre-packaged pet food available on the local market carries
labels that provide such information as description of its ingredients, places
of origin etc. We suggest that pet owners should purchase pet food from
reputable retailers and check the date of expiry and nutrition label. For cases
of suspected contamination of pet food products, members of the public may make
enquiries with the source of purchase and the importer or distributor of the pet
food concerned, or contact AFCD. Where necessary, AFCD will assist the
complainant by following up with the importer or distributor concerned.
The Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) prohibits any person from applying
false or misleading trade descriptions to goods in the course of trade or
business. The Ordinance applies to general goods including pet food, while
"trade description" covers information such as composition and place of origin.
Members of the public may report to the Customs and Excise Department any
suspected cases of false trade descriptions in relation to pet food. Aggrieved
consumers may lodge complaints about pet food with the Consumer Council.
Over the past years, no significant pet food safety incidents have been reported
in Hong Kong. As pet food available in Hong Kong is generally safe, we do not
see the need to introduce legislation to regulate pet food for the time being.
AFCD will continue to keep in view overseas developments in the control of pet
food, as well as the overall safety of pet food in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, AFCD
keeps records about major pet food producers and distributors in Hong Kong. This
would help facilitate follow-up actions in the event of enquiries or complaints
concerning such pet food. The Government will review legislation related to
animal welfare from time to time to ensure that the control regime remains
relevant and appropriate in changing circumstances and meets the needs of our
society.
(4) and (5) As mentioned above, the AFCD keeps records about local major pet
food producers and distributors so that enquiries and complaints concerning pet
food can be followed up accordingly. Members of the public may report to the
Customs and Excise Department any suspected cases of false descriptions in
relation to pet food. Aggrieved consumers may lodge complaints about pet food
with the Consumer Council. The relevant departments and the Consumer Council
will take follow-up actions or conduct investigations as appropriate.
According to the test conducted by the Consumer Council in April on 39 types of
dry pet food, the test results for microbes and contaminants in 28 samples
detected were satisfactory. Although trace amount of aflatoxin B1 , melamine or
cyanuric acid was detected in the other 11 samples, the levels were all within
the safety limits established by the EU and the United States, or of minimal
significance. AFCD will continue to keep in view the overall safety of pet food
in Hong Kong as well as the latest standards for pet food around the world.
In the past two years (2012 and 2013), the Customs and Excise Department
received two complaints about pet food suspected of violating the Trade
Descriptions Ordinance. One of the cases is under investigation, while no
violation of that Ordinance is found in the other case. Over the past two years,
AFCD received two complaints concerning pet food whereas the Consumer Council
received 39 complaints regarding animal food.
(6) Over the past years, no significant pet food safety incidents have been
reported in Hong Kong. As pet food available in Hong Kong is generally safe,
even though isolated cases may be found occasionally, we do not see the need to
set up a specific information dissemination channel for pet food safety
incidents for the time being.
AFCD will continue to remind members of the public to buy pet feed from
reputable suppliers for consumption by their pets. Pet feed should be properly
stored and consumed as soon as possible once opened, and should not be kept in
humid and hot environments. This will prevent breeding of microbes and reduce
the chance of the pets getting sick by consuming spoiled dry food. Members of
the public should take their pets to reliable veterinary clinics for
consultation if they find their pets showing symptoms such as vomiting,
diarrhoea or lack of appetite after consuming particular pet feed.
Ends/Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:28
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