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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) will launch a pre-statutory voluntary registration scheme from July 1 for importers and distributors of cereal and grain products, herbs and spices, fats and oils, salts, condiments and sauces.
"The Government is planning to introduce a food safety bill, which will require local food importers and distributors to register with the CFS to facilitate the identification of the importers and distributors, tracing the source of food and taking follow-up action in case of any food incident," a CFS spokesman said today (June 25).
"Before the enactment of the new legislation and the mandatory registration scheme comes into force, we are introducing the Pre-statutory Voluntary Registration Scheme for Food Importers and Distributors in two stages."
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The first stage has been implemented in phases for importers and distributors of poultry eggs, game, meat and poultry meat, live food animals/poultry, milk, milk beverages, cream and frozen confections, vegetables and fruits, fish and fishery products.
¡@¡@ From July 1, the CFS will accept registration applications from importers and distributors of cereal and grain products, herbs and spices, fats and oils, salts, condiments and sauces. They are encouraged to register with the CFS their business registration number, address, telephone number and person-in-charge.
¡@¡@ The CFS today conducted a briefing on the registration scheme for importers and distributors and also listened to their views.
¡@¡@ The second stage of the pre-statutory voluntary registration scheme began in May. The timetable for the second stage is as follows:
Time Food types
May processed game, meat, poultry meat and
aquatic products
June egg products, processed vegetables
and fruit products, dairy products,
legumes, nuts and seeds
July cereal and grain products, herbs and
spices, fats and oils, salts, condiments
and sauces
August non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic
beverages, infant/follow up/
growing-up formula and baby food
September sugars, sweets and snacks
October miscellaneous (Chinese herbs*, health food
/supplement*, mixed dishes and food not
covered by the food types mentioned in
stage 1 and above five phases)
*excluding those required to be registered under the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Chapter 549) and Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance(Chapter 138)
¡@¡@ The list of importers and distributors will be uploaded onto the CFS website (www.cfs.gov.hk) after the information provided by the participating importers and distributors has been collated for the reference of local wholesalers and retailers.
Application forms are available at the CFS on 43rd floor, Queensway Government Offices, and can be downloaded from the CFS website starting July 1. Applicants can also fill in the electronic registration form on the website and submit it to the CFS.
Importers and distributors of cereal and grain products, herbs and spices, fats and oils, salts, condiments and sauces are welcome to call the CFS on 2867 5582 during office hours if they have any questions on the registration scheme.
Ends/Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:37
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