***************************************
The following is the transcript of remarks (English portion) made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, at a media stand-up session after attending a public function today (May 30):
Reporter: Is there a need to include Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in the regular checks of the Centre for Food Safety?
Secretary for Food and Health: We will take into consideration the risk assessment of this particular substance. It is not only one substance - there are actually other similar substances as well. We will assess how widely this is being used, and what would be the damage to our health, in term of immediate and also long-term health hazards of the substance, and will make a decision whether this should be done on a regular basis. Now knowing that the products in Taiwan are being contaminated, certainly at this moment we are testing a lot of the possible products from Taiwan and trying to take samples from every one of them and testing them right now.
Reporter: Should the public stop consuming Taiwan products?
Secretary for Food and Health: As far as Taiwan products are concerned, those which are contaminated have already been announced by the Taiwan authority. Similar types of samples are being tested in Hong Kong. Also, the importers are very responsible in withdrawing some of the products as well. In general, the risk is not high but we are still monitoring the situation. So in case there are products that are contaminated and yet still exist in the local market, we will take extra measures to ensure they would not be on sale.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Monday, May 30, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:25
NNNN
