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The following is issued on behalf of the Expert Committee on Food Safety:
The Expert Committee on Food Safety, which advises the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (DFEH) on food safety strategies and measures to protect public health, held a special meeting this afternoon (April 6) to discuss food safety issues in the wake of the nuclear incident in Japan.
Issues discussed include radiation and food safety, food safety risk management action taken in Hong Kong, enhanced food surveillance work and risk communication response to the incident.
The Chairman of the Expert Committee, Professor Kwan Hoi-shan, said today: "The Committee considered the current adoption by the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the guideline levels laid down by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which are internationally accepted standards for protection of public health and global trade, to be appropriate in addressing the food safety concerns."
The guideline levels are set for Radionuclides in Foods Contaminated following a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency in testing the radiation levels of food.
According to the Codex, when radionuclide levels in food do not exceed the corresponding guideline levels, the food should be considered as safe for human consumption.
Professor Kwan said: "The Expert Committee also deliberated that the risk management approach adopted by the CFS is suitable, and suggested the CFS continue to closely monitor the situation and adjust the approach if necessary as the incident evolves.
"We considered that the prompt issue of a prohibition order by the DFEH is appropriate subsequent to the detection of excessive radiation in the three vegetable samples and the control measures announced by Japan."
To safeguard food safety in Hong Kong, the order prohibits the import of specified Japanese food harvested, manufactured, processed or packaged on or after March 11, 2011 from five prefectures in Japan.
Referring to the CFS's food surveillance programme, Professor Kwan said the Expert Committee thought the coverage was appropriate.
"The Expert Committee considered that the CFS should continue to monitor the three radionuclides – Iodine 131 (I-131), Caesium-134 (Cs-134) and Caesium-137 (Cs-137) – which are the main radionuclides representing health concern and most relevant in the acute phase of nuclear emergencies.
"We advised the CFS to keep in view the discussion and recommendation of the International Atomic Energy Agency and World Health Organization in formulating the medium and long term monitoring programme," Professor Kwan said.
The Expert Committee was briefed about CFS's stepped-up surveillance at import level on food including fresh produce such as milk, vegetables, fruits, meat and aquatic products imported from Japan for examination of radiation level since March 12, 2011.
"We noted that the CFS would continue to make efforts to provide to the public and the food trade updated food safety information related to the Japan nuclear incident in a transparent and timely manner," Professor Kwan added.
Ends/Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Issued at HKT 22:40
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