****************************************************
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 24) announced that import of food products from Husi Food Company Limited in Mainland China would be suspended with immediate effect. The trade should also stop supplying or selling the food products concerned immediately.
A spokesman for the CFS said in view of recent media reports on the food safety issues involving food products produced by Husi food factory in Shanghai, the CFS was very concerned about the incident and had taken proactive follow-up actions, including inspecting the suspected fast food chain concerned and its cold store, examining food products and taking food samples for testing as well as liaising with the Mainland authorities to obtain further information.
"In view of the development of the incident and that investigations on the Mainland are still going on, for the sake of prudence, the CFS has decided to suspend import of all food products produced by all processing plants of Husi on the Mainland. Any food products from Husi already imported into Hong Kong would be marked and sealed and not allowed to be sold pending results of the investigations by the Mainland authorities," he said.
The spokesman said the CFS has alerted the trade. All importers and vendors are reminded that if they hold any food products from Husi in their stores, they should stop selling them and contact the CFS.
Section 54 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132) provides that all food intended for human consumption, locally produced or imported, should be fit for human consumption. In addition, the food must comply with regulations concerning food safety and food standards made under the above Ordinance. An offender is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction. Furthermore, pursuant to section 52 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132), any person sells to the prejudice of a purchaser any food which is not of the nature, substance or quality of the food demanded by the purchaser shall be guilty of an offence, which is liable to a maximum fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for three months upon conviction.
"The Centre will continue to closely monitor the situation, liaise with the relevant Mainland authorities and take appropriate actions accordingly so as to ensure the food in question would not enter Hong Kong," the spokesman added.
Ends/Thursday, July 24, 2014
Issued at HKT 21:30
NNNN