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The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) has informed the seafood trade that the Quality Seawater Assurance Scheme (QSAS) has served its term in full and was concluded on January 31, 2011.
The Food and Health Bureau (the then Health, Welfare and Food Bureau) appointed the HKPC in 2005 as the independent accrediting body to develop and implement the QSAS, with the aim of assisting the seafood trade in improving the quality of fish tank water for keeping live seafood.
Under the Scheme, the HKPC carried out a wide range of education and promotion activities. Noting that the trade now attaches greater importance to the quality of seawater for keeping live seafood and has learned good practices for reducing the risk of contamination of seafood to safeguard public health, the objective of the QSAS has been achieved.
To further maintain the quality of seawater for keeping live seafood, the Government implemented the Food Business (Amendment) Regulation 2009 on August 1, 2010, to control the extraction of seawater for keeping live seafood. At the end of 2010 the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department also issued updated guidelines on filtration and disinfection facilities for fish tank water to the seafood trade for reference purposes.
Ends/Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Issued at HKT 18:17
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