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The Government will gazette on December 9 the Harmful Substances in Food (Amendment) Regulation 2011 to prohibit the presence of harmful exogenous estrogens in dried milk, condensed milk and reconstituted milk.
A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said today (December 7) that the safety of infant formula is currently regulated by the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) and its subsidiary legislation. As infant formula is the main food item for babies, the public would expect stringent control over infant formula by the Government given babies' vulnerability.
According to Regulation 3A of the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations (Cap. 132AF), milk shall not contain any prohibited substance specified in the Second Schedule (most of them are veterinary drugs). Since the definition of milk in Cap. 132AF does not include dried milk, condensed milk and reconstituted milk, the prohibition under Regulation 3A is not applicable to dried milk, condensed milk and reconstituted milk. As a result, Cap. 132AF is unable to prohibit infant formula from containing the three exogenous estrogens specified in the Second Schedule.
"To plug this loophole, we propose to amend Cap. 132AF to extend the prohibition on the presence in food of veterinary drugs specified in the Second Schedule of Cap. 132AF to dried milk, condensed milk and reconstituted milk, including the three exogenous estrogens specified in the Second Schedule, namely, Dienoestrol, Diethylstilboestrol and Hexoestrol.
"The trade supports the proposed amendments. The Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene of the Legislative Council has also indicated support at its meeting in June this year."
The Harmful Substances in Food (Amendment) Regulation 2011 will be tabled in the Legislative Council on December 14. Upon completion of the negative vetting procedures by the Legislative Council, the Harmful Substances in Food (Amendment) Regulation 2011 will commence on March 1, 2012.
Ends/Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Issued at HKT 16:38
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