Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ11: Food safety incidents of chain restaurants
Following is a question by the Hon Wong Yuk-man and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today
(January 27):
Question:
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) under the Food and Environmental Hygiene
Department is responsible for food safety matters and takes food samples for
testing according to a risk-based principle. Some members of the public have
relayed to me that food safety incidents involving eateries of fast food chains
have occurred one after another recently. For instance, the eateries of an
American-style fast food chain sold meat containing antibiotics, while those of
a Hong Kong-style fast food chain were repeatedly fined by the court for selling
food containing insects, and did not keep chilled chicken under refrigeration at
a temperature between 0°C and 4°C during transportation as required. Those
members of the public are worried that their health may be affected as they
often patronise such eateries. In this connection, will the Government inform
this Council:
(1) whether CFS assessed, in the past three years, the risks of food safety
incidents posed by the food sold by the eateries of fast food chains; if CFS
did, of the assessment outcome, how such eateries compare to other eateries in
this regard, and the justifications for arriving at the relevant assessment
outcome; and
(2) whether CFS will step up its efforts in conducting regular and surprise
inspections on the hygiene conditions and food handling at the eateries of fast
food chains; if CFS will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is the licensing authority
of food premises. In accordance with the Public Health and Municipal Services
Ordinance (Cap. 132) and the Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X), FEHD has,
through the licensing regime, inspections and enforcement actions, strived to
ensure that licensees of food premises comply with licensing requirements and
conditions, and abide by the provisions relating to food safety and
environmental hygiene under Cap. 132 and its subsidiary legislation. The Centre
for Food Safety (CFS) of FEHD, through the food surveillance programme, takes
food samples at the import, wholesale and retail levels (including licensed food
premises) for microbiological, chemical and radiological testing to ensure that
the food sold in Hong Kong is safe and fit for consumption. My consolidated
reply to the two parts of the question is as follows.
Under the "Risk-based Inspection System" (RBIS) adopted by FEHD since 2003,
licensed food premises are classified into three risk types whereas the
inspection frequency is determined by the risk potential of individual food
premises. Food premises classified as low, medium and high risk types (Types I,
II and III) are inspected once every 20, 10 and four weeks respectively. Major
considerations that are taken into account in the classification of licensed
food premises include the type of food sold and the intended mode of consumption
by customers, the activity of the food business, the method of food processing
in use, the size of the customer base and past records of the food premises.
Based on the concept of "Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point", this
classification method aims at preventing food safety problems and ensuring that
inspection resources are appropriately allocated. As such, the frequency at
which individual licensed food premises are inspected is determined by the level
of risk potential assigned to them. Based on the same set of considerations, the
branches of large-scale catering chains across the territory are assessed and
classified individually for determining their inspection frequency.
FEHD reviews the risk potential of individual licensed food premises annually to
determine the frequency of inspections in the following year. Licensed food
premises found responsible for any food safety incident will be reclassified as
Type III (high risk type) and more frequent inspections will be conducted by
FEHD to ensure environmental hygiene and food safety.
Under the RBIS, FEHD officers will conduct inspections at individual branches of
chain restaurants according to their risk types. During the inspections, the
health inspectors of the FEHD will check the sanitary conditions of the food
premises concerned and the food safety management measures taken in respect of
food, equipment, personal hygiene of food handlers, cleanliness of the premises,
pest control and waste disposal, with a view to ensuring that the licensed food
premises comply with the licensing conditions and meet the hygiene and food
safety standards required by law. Inspection officers will issue warnings or
institute prosecutions as appropriate for any irregularities found.
In order to fortify control over licensed food premises, apart from routine
inspections, FEHD also conducts theme-based surprise inspections and takes
enforcement actions when necessary. In the event of food safety incidents in
licensed food premises, FEHD will prosecute the non-compliant licensees and
conduct more frequent inspections of the premises concerned. If the situation
warrants, the restaurants will be ordered to suspend business and carry out
thorough cleansing and disinfection. They will be allowed to resume business
only when further inspection results are found to be satisfactory.
Furthermore, when formulating the food surveillance programme, the CFS adopts a
risk-based principle in taking food samples from different licensed food
premises for testing, and in determining the types of samples to be collected,
the frequency and number of samples taken for testing, and the types of
laboratory analysis to be conducted. The sampling programme is under regular
review, taking into account factors such as past food surveillance results,
local and overseas food incidents as well as relevant risk analysis. Where
licensed food premises are involved in food safety incidents, the CFS will step
up sampling of food at such food premises to ensure food safety.
Ends/Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Issued at HKT 13:45
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