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Following is a question by the Hon Lui Ming-wah and a reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (February 20):
Question:
Regarding hygiene conditions and product safety of disposable tableware, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the quantities of various kinds of disposable tableware used by restaurants, universities and secondary and primary schools annually; and
(b) whether it has monitored the hygiene conditions and product safety of such tableware, such as by conducting regular sample tests for bacteria content on the surfaces of such tableware, and for determining whether it will release harmful substances when coming into contact with hot, fatty or acidic substances; if so, of the monitoring results in the past two years; if not, the reasons for that, and whether a monitoring mechanism will be established?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) does not collect data on the quantities of food containers and utensils used by the food business.
(b) The Government pays close attention to the cleanliness and food safety aspects of food containers and utensils, and has been monitoring the situation through various means.
The Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap.132) stipulates that all food offered for sale in Hong Kong must be fit for human consumption. Should the food be rendered unfit for human consumption due to a problematic container, it would be an offence to offer such food for sale. Under the Food Business Regulation (Cap.132 Sub. Leg. X), every person who carries on any food business shall ensure that all equipment and utensils are kept clean and free from noxious matters, and shall not use any utensil that has not been washed and sterilised. In the licensing conditions imposed by the FEHD on food factories that supply meal boxes, it is specifically stipulated that all food containers shall be made of material which will not release toxic chemicals into food as a result of the high temperature or acidity in the food.
Disposable containers are commonly used for take-away meals in local food establishments. These containers can be categorised into four types: polypropylene (PP), expanded polystyrene (EPS) (commonly called poly-foam), polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Among them, PP has the best heat resistance and is suitable for keeping food at temperatures ranging from 100℃ to 120℃ for a long period. The other three types of plastic containers are not suitable for keeping food at temperature over 100℃. According to the information provided by the Environmental Protection Department, lunch suppliers no longer use poly-foam meal boxes for providing meals in schools. Instead, PP meal boxes or reusable containers are used.
The FEHD issued the "Guidelines on the Use of Disposable Plastic Containers" in 2006 to give advice on the selection, receiving and storage of containers as well as food packaging and transportation, etc, for food business operators' reference.
Apart from issuing guidelines to the trade, we also take samples of disposable containers available in the market for testing on migration of chemical substance from time to time. Over the past three years, the FEHD has taken 26 samples of disposable food containers, including bottles, cups, bowls, boxes made from plastic, polystyrene and paper, for tests on migration of chemical substance in order to examine whether such containers would have an impact on food safety. All the test results were satisfactory. The FEHD will continue to conduct relevant tests in order to monitor the situation. In addition, the FEHD in 2005 collaborated with the Consumer Council to conduct a study on the safety of disposable food containers. The study included various tests on 80 samples. The results showed that plastic disposable food containers provided by local food establishments, retailers and school lunch box suppliers, if properly used, would unlikely cause food safety problems. Results of the study were published in the CHOICE Magazine on December 15, 2005. The FEHD is planning to conduct a risk assessment study on cup noodle containers this year.
Moreover, the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) collects samples of disposable tableware available in the market, such as in supermarkets and convenience stores, to ensure that the tableware meets the general safety requirements stipulated in the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance. Over the past three years, the C&ED has collected 39 items of disposable tableware including meal boxes, cups, bowls, dishes, forks, spoons and bamboo/wooden chopsticks for safety testing. The results showed that none of the sample exceeded the safety limits of harmful substances.
Ends/Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:25
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