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    The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will strengthen food safety supervision of food premises in Hong Kong by requiring all food establishments to appoint a hygiene manager and/or hygiene supervisor.

    Announcing details of the scheme at a press conference today (February 23), the department's Deputy Director (Environmental Hygiene) Ms Annette Lee said the scheme would apply to all existing food establishments holding a full or provisional licence, as well as applicants for food business licences.

    "The scheme will come into effect on May 30, so existing licensees and new licence applicants can have time to make necessary arrangements to meet the new requirements," Ms Lee said.

    Under the scheme, all restaurants and factory canteens capable of accommodating more than 100 customers, food factories with a floor area over 200 square metres and food establishments producing high-risk food or manufacturing food for wholesale must appoint a hygiene manager and a hygiene supervisor to supervise their operations.

    For all other food establishments, they will be required to have either a hygiene manager or a hygiene supervisor.

    Hygiene managers and hygiene supervisors are responsible for supervising the safe and hygienic operation of food establishments and will serve as a point of contact with the department in respect of food safety enforcement.

    "With their appointment, we believe that food premises will be more efficiently managed and public health better protected," she said.

    Hygiene managers must complete a formal course of training of 16 to 20 hours provided by an academic institute or vocational training centre recognised by the department and obtain a certificate of competence in food hygiene after passing a requisite test.

    "We have so far recognised 12 hygiene manager courses and about 6,350 hygiene managers have been trained and awarded a certificate up to end January," she noted.

    Ms Lee said hygiene supervisors had to complete a training course of four to six hours organised or recognised by the department and be awarded a certificate after passing a test.

    "The department has been offering free hygiene supervisor courses and 29,150 hygiene supervisors have been awarded a certificate by end January.

    "It is estimated that about 3,300 hygiene managers and 20,000 hygiene supervisors are required by the some 20,000 licensed food premises in Hong Kong when the scheme is implemented."

    The department will notify all food business licensees and new licence applicants shortly of the proposed changes to the licensing conditions and requirements.

    "Food premises may have their licences cancelled if their licensees fail to comply with the new requirements on or after May 30," Ms Lee warned.

Ends/Wednesday, February 23, 2005

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