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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 3) that with immediate effect, testing of plasticisers will be covered by its routine food surveillance programme.
A CFS spokesman explained, "Since the incident of food contamination with plasticisers in Taiwan in end-May, the CFS has adopted a targeted approach in monitoring plasticisers in food. As at September 30, more than 1,020 samples of food product had been tested for plasticisers. Among them, 49 samples were unsatisfactory.
"Since the last unsatisfactory sample was found on August 24, for more than a month, all plasticiser test results for a cumulative total of 123 food samples have been satisfactory."
Moreover, the Taiwanese authority concerned announced in early August that the investigation into and handling of the plasticiser contamination incident had been completed.
It also stated that it would take a series of concrete measures to strengthen control over food contamination with plasticisers to ensure food safety.
"Under the circumstances, the CFS decided to subsume the testing of plasticisers in food, conducted previously under a targeted approach, within its routine food surveillance programme from October 3 onwards so as to continue to safeguard food safety. Results of plasticiser tests under the routine programme will be announced in the monthly Food Safety Report," the spokesman said.
The Expert Committee on Food Safety earlier endorsed CFS' inclusion of plasticiser tests in its routine food surveillance programme to protect public health. The Committee advises the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene on, among others, existing food safety operational strategies.
"The CFS will continue to monitor the situation closely and take measures as appropriate to ensure food safety," the spokesman added.
Ends/Monday, October 3, 2011
Issued at HKT 14:31
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