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The Government has announced the appointment of Deputy Director (Food and Public Health) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Dr Mak Sin-ping as Controller, Centre for Food Safety with effect from today (May 2).
Commenting on Dr Mak's appointment, the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, said Dr Mak had proven leadership and administrative skills, as well as profound professional knowledge in food safety and public health issues. "She is also well established among food safety and public health professionals locally and internationally," Dr Chow said.
"With her extensive experience, I am confident that she will be able to lead the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) in enhancing food safety in Hong Kong and meeting the challenges ahead.
"With the appointment of the Controller, CFS, the Food Surveillance and Control Division and the Risk Assessment and Communication Division of the department will be subsumed under the Centre on the same day. We will start taking steps to recruit new staff, including food safety experts, to strengthen various work areas, including enhancing food surveillance and sampling, handling the increasing number of food complaints, increasing liaison with the Mainland and overseas authorities, reviewing and updating food standards, and enhancing risk assessment and communication".
On April 7, 2006, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved the creation of the new Controller post on May 2, 2006, to head the CFS to be set up within the department.
The following is the biographical note on Dr Mak:
Dr Mak Sin-ping, JP
Aged 54, Dr Mak joined the Hong Kong Civil Service as a Medical and Health Officer in 1978. She was promoted to Assistant Director of Health in 1995 and to Deputy Director of Health in 2000. She became the Deputy Director (Food and Public Health) in the department in 2001, responsible for planning and directing the implementation of policies on food safety control, veterinary public health and pest control, and overseeing risk assessment programmes on food safety.
Ends/Tuesday, May 2, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:22
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