Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ18: Inspection of live pigs
Following is a question by the Hon Steven Ho and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today
(May 17):
Question:
Since 2007, the authorities have implemented new surveillance measures in
respect of live pigs for slaughter (the 2007 new surveillance measures), under
which urine samples are collected from live pigs for conducting rapid tests on
veterinary drug residues, and before the test results are available, pig buying
agents are allowed to bid for the pigs and transfer the pigs to waiting/holding
lairages for slaughtering. In early August 2016, when 40 pigs were detected to
have residues of veterinary drug beta-agonists (Salbutamol) (commonly known as
"asthma drug"), they had already been slaughtered and released to the market.
Although the authorities had implemented improvement measures after the incident
(the 2016 improvement measures), some farmers are still worried that the
improvement measures cannot ensure food safety and protect the rights and
interests of pig buying agents. In this connection, will the Government inform
this Council:
(1) of the detailed process of veterinary drug residues testing, auctioning and
slaughtering of live pigs during the following three periods of time (set out in
a table):
(i) before the implementation of the 2007 new surveillance measures,
(ii) after the implementation of the 2007 new surveillance measures and before
the implementation of the 2016 improvement measures, and
(iii) since the implementation of the 2016 improvement measures;
(2) of the number of cases in which urine samples of live pigs failed to pass
the veterinary drug residues test since the introduction of the test in 2001;
among them, the respective numbers of cases in which (i) the places of origin of
the problematic live pigs were identified, (ii) the persons concerned were
prosecuted, and (iii) the persons concerned were convicted, and the penalties
imposed on them in general;
(3) as some farmers have pointed out that quite a number of problems are found
in the existing system (including: (i) since live pigs are auctioned and mixed
together in waiting lairages before the results of the veterinary drug residues
test of their urine samples are available, such test results may not be admitted
as evidence in the relevant prosecutions, and (ii) when some urine samples of
live pigs fail to pass the veterinary drug residues test, the slaughter or
retail processes concerned have to be suspended to wait for the authorities to
contact hundreds of stakeholders and screen out the problematic pigs or their
carcasses from several thousand pigs, resulting in considerable delays in the
supply of live pigs), how the authorities will enhance the existing system to
protect the rights and interests of pig buying agents and the public as well as
reducing the impact on various parties when problems arise; and
(4) as some retailers have pointed out that in the aforesaid incident in August
last year, the authorities announced a list of 27 retail outlets involved right
after learning about the test results, but 16 retail outlets of which were
subsequently found to be unrelated to the selling of any products of the
problematic pigs, whether the authorities have learnt a lesson and will ensure
the accuracy of the information released so as to prevent innocent retailers
from suffering losses; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
My reply to the question raised by the Hon Steven Ho is as follows:
(1) The Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Chemical Residues) Regulation (Cap
139N) (the Regulation) came into force on December 31, 2001. The Food and
Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is responsible for the inspection of
live pigs admitted to the slaughterhouses in Hong Kong with regard to residues
of the agricultural chemicals and veterinary drugs prohibited and restricted
under the Regulation. Urine samples are collected by FEHD from each and every
consignment of live pigs entering the slaughterhouses for testing by the
veterinary laboratory of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
Pigs with urine samples tested negative will be despatched for slaughtering at
the slaughter line. To ensure food safety, post-mortem inspection of slaughtered
pigs will be carried out by FEHD staff to ensure the carcasses and offal are fit
for human consumption before they are released to the market. The above
procedures for inspection and slaughtering of live pigs have been implemented
since the Regulation came into operation, and have not been amended over those
periods specified in the question.
Live pig auction is a commercial operation of the trade. In 2007, the trade
changed the arrangement for auctioning live pigs, from holding auctions on the
following day after the pigs' arrival, to the very day of arrival. Such a change
was initiated by relevant stakeholders of the trade, including live pig
importers, agents, buyers, slaughterhouse operators, etc, without affecting
FEHD's procedures for inspection and slaughtering of live pigs.
(2) Since implementation of the Regulation and up to April 30, 2017, there were
a total of 64 cases of pig urine samples tested positive, and the place of
origin of all implicated pigs could be identified. Prosecutions were initiated
in respect of 13 of these cases, of which all were successfully convicted with a
fine ranged from $2,000 to $10,000.
(3) FEHD has all along maintained close liaison with the trade to ensure smooth
operation of the slaughterhouses. Some members of the trade had suggested
postponing pig auctions until after test results of urine samples were
available. The suggestion was conveyed by FEHD to the trade as live pig auction
is the trade's commercial operation. Representatives of the trade, including
importers, buyers, merchants' associations and slaughterhouse operators, were of
the view that the existing arrangements had been in place for long and proven to
be conducive to the trade's operation, without affecting the surveillance work
undertaken by FEHD in safeguarding food safety. They did not support the
suggestion as postponing auctions would substantially affect their workflow and
increase operating costs.
To further strengthen food safety supervision, FEHD conducted last year an
in-depth review on the slaughterhouse operation and system and introduced a
series of improvement measures. This includes striving to complete the daily
urine testing procedures earlier to allow sufficient time for the trade to take
follow-up actions in case of positive test results, with a view to ensuring that
timely identification and isolation of all implicated pigs can be carried out as
necessary before the slaughter line commences operation. FEHD will continue to
maintain close liaison with various stakeholders of the trade and review the
implementation of the measures from time to time.
(4) In that incident, FEHD apologised to the affected retailers and provided a
one-off ex-gratia payment of about $300,000 in total to cover the financial loss
to the relevant retailers as a result of the disposal of the pork and offal.
Besides, FEHD has set up a working group with the trade representatives to study
and improve the pig tracing mechanism. FEHD will also work with stakeholders to
conduct regular drills to prevent recurrence of similar incidents in the future.
Ends/Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:10
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