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The Chief Secretary, Mr Henry Tang, today (June 30) visited the factory of the designated food and beverage provider of the Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events and the catering facilities of the hotels where athletes, team officials and overseas media will be staying.
Mr Tang said ensuring food safety was one of the top priorities in successfully co-hosting the Equestrian Events. To cope with Hong Kong's hot and humid summer, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has formulated specific food safety strategy for the Events.
"After inspecting the food safety and hygiene management systems of the hotels and the caterer, and understanding FEHD's monitoring system put in place, I am very confident that all parties involved have adopted the most stringent hygiene and inspection standards to ensure food safety during the Events," Mr Tang said.
FEHD has set up a dedicated Food Safety Advisory Team for the Equestrian Events. The Department has been working closely with the caterer and hotels to assist them in developing safe menus and implementing food safety management system. It also provides professional advice and training programmes for the catering staff on food safety, and conducts on-site inspection of the food production process.
Mr Tang was pleased to note that to ensure food safety at source, the Food and Health Bureau and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the Central Government recently concluded an agreement on the co-operation regarding agriculture food products and food imports to Hong Kong during the Olympics and Paralympics Equestrian Events. The agreement will serve to strengthen the inspection and quarantine of food supply to Hong Kong during the Events.
During today's visit, the Controller of FEHD's Centre for Food Safety, Dr Constance Chan Hon-yee, briefed Mr Tang on the departmental emergency mechanism for the Equestrian Events.
Ends/Monday, June 30, 2008
Issued at HKT 21:05
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