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LCQ1: Pet food
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     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today (May 14):

Question:

     Earlier on, the Consumer Council (CC) conducted a sampling test on dry pet food sold in the market, results of which indicated the presence of harmful substances (including carcinogen aflatoxin B1 or contaminants of melamine and cyanuric acid) in some of the samples.  CC has stated that long-term intake of aflatoxin B1 by animals could increase their risk of liver impairment and tumors in liver of animals whilst intake of both melamine and cyanuric acid may lead to formation of crystals, resulting in blockage of tubules in kidneys that may cause acute renal failure in animals.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1)  whether there is currently other legislation, apart from the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362), requiring manufacturers of pet feed and dry pet food (including "complementary and complete feed" and "feed materials") to label the following on the packaging of their products: (i) ingredient table, (ii) best-before date, (iii) place of origin, (iv) recommended daily quantity of feed and (v) age range of pets for which the product is suitable; if so, of the details, and the date on which the relevant legislation was last amended; if not, the reasons for that; whether it will consider amending the legislation to introduce such requirements;

(2)  whether there are currently relevant legislation or standards regulating the food safety of pet feed and dry pet food (including ceilings on the contents of harmful substances); if so, of the details, and the date on which such legislation or standards were last updated; if not, the reasons for that; whether it will consider amending the relevant legislation to impose such regulation;

(3)  given that some loose-pack pet food sold in the market do not have their composition and safety information marked on the packaging, whether the authorities have put in place any mechanism for regulating the package descriptions of loose-pack pet food; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(4)  given that the Secretary for Food and Health, in reply to a written question from a member of this Council on March 28, 2012, indicated that the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department would take the initiative to seek information on the quality of pet food products from the importers or distributors concerned where necessary, whether any government department was responsible in the past three years for (i) collecting overseas and local information regarding the safety of pet food, (ii) conducting sampling tests on the safety levels of pet food sold in the market, and (iii) verifying the accuracy of the package descriptions of such food as well as taking the necessary follow-up actions; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(5)  whether the authorities or CC received any complaint about pet food in the past two years; if so, of the number of such complaints; and

(6)  whether it has considered setting up a channel for disseminating information (such as a reporting mechanism in respect of pet food incidents) so that members of the public can be expeditiously informed of the pet food which may have problems and they may stop feeding their pets with such food; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     At present, we are not aware of any large-scale commercial enterprise in Hong Kong which produces pet food.  Some pet owners may choose to prepare food for their pets from fresh ingredients.  In recent years, we see a growing tendency for pet owners to feed their pets with processed and pre-packaged food readily available in the market.  As pet animals often feed on one single food item on a long-term basis, pet food producers usually employ veterinary surgeons and animal nutritionists to develop different food products which will provide a balanced diet for different types of animals.  This is to ensure that the pet food products are suitable for long-term consumption by pet animals and are able to sustain the pets' healthy growth and living.

     My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:

 (1), (2) and (3)  Unlike the case of food for human consumption, there are currently no specific safety standards for pet food commonly recognised by international organisations for reference.  Producers mainly rely on the professional advice of individual experts or use standards drawn up by individual countries as reference.  In most cases, the pet food sold in Hong Kong is compound formula food imported from the United States, Europe and Australia.  As pet food producing countries or regions, they have their own regulatory regimes for the production, quality control and description of ingredients of pet food.  For instance, the European Union (EU) has enacted specific laws on animal food.  The United States has in place a single regime governing food for both human and animal consumption.  In Australia and Canada, self-regulation by the trade is practised.  Different jurisdictions have developed different regulatory approaches according to their own needs.  Major pet food producing countries usually have more stringent regulations.  Where necessary, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) will proactively seek information on the quality of pet food products from the importers or distributors concerned.  Pet owners who wish to know more about the particulars of pet food or the needs of individual pets may seek such information from distributors or veterinary surgeons.

     In most cases, pre-packaged pet food available on the local market carries labels that provide such information as description of its ingredients, places of origin etc.  We suggest that pet owners should purchase pet food from reputable retailers and check the date of expiry and nutrition label.  For cases of suspected contamination of pet food products, members of the public may make enquiries with the source of purchase and the importer or distributor of the pet food concerned, or contact AFCD.  Where necessary, AFCD will assist the complainant by following up with the importer or distributor concerned.  

     The Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) prohibits any person from applying false or misleading trade descriptions to goods in the course of trade or business.  The Ordinance applies to general goods including pet food, while "trade description" covers information such as composition and place of origin.  Members of the public may report to the Customs and Excise Department any suspected cases of false trade descriptions in relation to pet food.  Aggrieved consumers may lodge complaints about pet food with the Consumer Council.  

     Over the past years, no significant pet food safety incidents have been reported in Hong Kong.  As pet food available in Hong Kong is generally safe, we do not see the need to introduce legislation to regulate pet food for the time being.  AFCD will continue to keep in view overseas developments in the control of pet food, as well as the overall safety of pet food in Hong Kong.  Meanwhile, AFCD keeps records about major pet food producers and distributors in Hong Kong.  This would help facilitate follow-up actions in the event of enquiries or complaints concerning such pet food.  The Government will review legislation related to animal welfare from time to time to ensure that the control regime remains relevant and appropriate in changing circumstances and meets the needs of our society.

(4) and (5)  As mentioned above, the AFCD keeps records about local major pet food producers and distributors so that enquiries and complaints concerning pet food can be followed up accordingly.  Members of the public may report to the Customs and Excise Department any suspected cases of false descriptions in relation to pet food.  Aggrieved consumers may lodge complaints about pet food with the Consumer Council.  The relevant departments and the Consumer Council will take follow-up actions or conduct investigations as appropriate.

     According to the test conducted by the Consumer Council in April on 39 types of dry pet food, the test results for microbes and contaminants in 28 samples detected were satisfactory.  Although trace amount of aflatoxin B1 , melamine or cyanuric acid was detected in the other 11 samples, the levels were all within the safety limits established by the EU and the United States, or of minimal significance.  AFCD will continue to keep in view the overall safety of pet food in Hong Kong as well as the latest standards for pet food around the world.  

     In the past two years (2012 and 2013), the Customs and Excise Department received two complaints about pet food suspected of violating the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.  One of the cases is under investigation, while no violation of that Ordinance is found in the other case.  Over the past two years, AFCD received two complaints concerning pet food whereas the Consumer Council received 39 complaints regarding animal food.

(6)  Over the past years, no significant pet food safety incidents have been reported in Hong Kong.  As pet food available in Hong Kong is generally safe, even though isolated cases may be found occasionally, we do not see the need to set up a specific information dissemination channel for pet food safety incidents for the time being.

     AFCD will continue to remind members of the public to buy pet feed from reputable suppliers for consumption by their pets.  Pet feed should be properly stored and consumed as soon as possible once opened, and should not be kept in humid and hot environments.  This will prevent breeding of microbes and reduce the chance of the pets getting sick by consuming spoiled dry food.  Members of the public should take their pets to reliable veterinary clinics for consultation if they find their pets showing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea or lack of appetite after consuming particular pet feed.

Ends/Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:28

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