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The Government announced today (September 12) the re-appointment of Professor Kwan Hoi-shan, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Professor of Biology of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, as the Chairman of the Expert Committee on Food Safety.
The Government also announced the appointment of 11 new members and re-appointment of eight incumbent members to the expert committee. All the appointments are for a term of two years with effect from September 15.
The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, welcomed the new members. The new local members are Ms Catherine Au Sin-lun, Professor Peter Cheung Chi-keung, Mr Allen Ho, Ms Cecilia Kung Yin-ha, Dr Michael H W Lam, Professor Ma Ching-yung, Dr Matthew Ng and Mr Lawrence Ve Chung Wong. The new overseas members are Dr Paul Brent, Professor Chen Jun-shi and Professor Jiang Yu-lin.
The following is brief background on the new members:
Ms Catherine Au Sin-lun is the general manager of the Yata Department Store. She also serves as a member of the Fish Marketing Advisory Board.
Professor Peter Cheung Chi-keung is an Associate Professor of the Department of Biology of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He is also the Director of Studies, Food and Nutritional Sciences Programme, in CUHK.
Mr Allen Ho is the Food Safety and Quality Assurance Director of the Dairy Farm Group, Hong Kong.
Ms Cecilia Kung Yin-ha is the managing director of Ice Master Limited. She is a member of the Marketing Advisory Board and Fish Marketing Advisory Board.
Dr Michael H W Lam is an Associate Professor of the Department of Biology and Chemistry of the City University of Hong Kong. Dr Lam is knowledgeable in chemistry and toxicology. He has published a number of research articles on the subjects.
Professor Ma Ching-yung teaches in the School of Biological Sciences of the University of Hong Kong. He has been the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Science of the university since 1999.
Dr Matthew Ng is a consultant physician at the Department of Medicine of Tung Wah Hospital. He is a member of the Appeal Board Panel (Toys and Children's Products Safety).
Mr Lawrence Ve Chung Wong is the Director of the Hospitality Industry Training and Development Centre and Chinese Cuisine Training Institute of the Vocational Training Council. He is devoted to training and enhancing the awareness of the catering industry on food safety.
Dr Paul Brent is the Chief Scientist of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). He has overall responsibility for the scientific work undertaken by FSANZ, and for FSANZ's input into the international regulatory framework such as Codex Alimentarius Commission.
Professor Chen Jun-shi is the Head of the Expert Advisory Committee on Food Safety, and Chair of the National Food Hygiene Standards Committee of the Ministry of Health. He is also a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Expert Advisory Panel on Food Safety, and a member of Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.
Professor Jiang Yu-lin is the former Director of the Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases in the Shenzhen Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau. He is currently an expert on the Regional Working Group in the Network of Aquaculture Centres in the Asia-Pacific. His expertise is in aquatic animal matters and he has extensive experience in the Chinese quarantine system.
The eight re-appointed members are:
Dr Chan Pui-kwong
Professor Thomas Chan Yan-keung
Mrs Jenny Fung Ma Kit-han
Ms Connie Lau Yin-hing
Dr Lau Fei-lung
Mr Simon Wong Ka-wo
Professor Jonathan Wong Woon-chung
Dr Chua Sin-bin
Dr Chow said he looked forward to the contribution of the members in providing sound counsel to the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene on strategic and operational aspects of different food safety issues.
Dr Chow also thanked the outgoing members - Mr Colin K C Cheng, Dr Marion Healy, Mr Peter Johnston, Dr Kan Xue-gui, Professor Frederick Leung Chi-ching, Dr Lo King-shun, Dr Desmond O' Toole, Dr Carrie Willis and Dr Raymond Wong - for their valuable advice to the expert committee during their term of appointment.
The functions of the expert committee include rendering advice to the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene on existing or new food safety operational strategies and measures to protect public health as well as setting standards/guidelines relating to food safety and food composition having regard to international practices, trends and developments.
Following is the membership list of the expert committee as from September 15:
Chairman: Professor Kwan Hoi-shan
Local Members:
Ms Catherine Au Sin-lun
Dr Chan Pui-kwong
Professor Thomas Chan Yan-keung
Professor Peter Cheung Chi-keung
Mrs Jenny Fung Ma Kit-han
Mr Allen Ho
Ms Cecilia Kung Yin-ha
Dr Michael H W Lam
Ms Connie Lau Yin-hing
Dr Lau Fei-lung
Professor Ma Ching-yung
Dr Matthew Ng
Professor Jonathan Wong Woon-chung
Mr Lawrence Ve Chung Wong
Mr Simon Wong Ka-wo
Overseas Members:
Dr Paul Brent
Professor Chen Jun-shi
Dr Chua Sin-bin
Professor Jiang Yu-lin
Ex-officio Members:
Representative of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department
Representative of the Department of Health
Ends/Friday, September 12, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:00
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