Good to eat: Centre for Food Safety Assistant Director Dr Constance Chan says 99.6% of food checked in January and February has passed safety tests.

The Centre for Food Safety tested 7,100 food samples in January and February with an overall pass rate of 99.6%. Only 28 samples failed the tests.

The centre's Assistant Director Dr Constance Chan said 45% of the samples were vegetables and fruit, 15% milk, milk products and frozen confections, 7% meat and poultry, 7% cereals and grains, 6% aquatic products and 20% other items.

Unsatisfactory samples

The unsatisfactory cases comprised 14 Lunar New Year foods and three turbot fish samples, previously announced by the centre. The remaining 11 were:

* a spring onion sample with pesticide exceeding the permitted level;

* two green pea samples with colourings detected;

* a dried raisin sample, a fresh beef sample, a sliced gizzard with preserved vegetable sample, a flat noodle sample and a curry paste sample with preservative exceeding the permitted level;

* a shrimp sample with heavy metals exceeding the permitted level;

* a dumpling with Salmonella; and,

* a noodle snack with non-permitted sweetener stevioside.

"The exceedances or breaches were not serious and will not pose immediate health risks. As for the food sample with Salmonella, the pathogen may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, such as abdominal pain and diarrhoea," Dr Chan said.

"We observe that the unsatisfactory samples were mainly related to the use of excessive or non-permitted food additives, such as preservatives, colouring matters or sweeteners."

The centre is tracing the source of the food, asking retailers to stop selling them, and taking follow-up samples and issuing warning letters. If there is sufficient evidence, prosecution action will also be taken. The food trade must use only permitted food additives, follow good manufacturing practices and comply with legal requirements.

Tougher control

On vegetables imported from the Mainland, Dr Chan said consignments can only be exported to Hong Kong after examination by Mainland entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureaux. Vehicles transporting the vegetables, which should be accompanied by monitoring cards and pesticide declaration certificates issued by Mainland authorities, are required to enter Hong Kong through Man Kam To checkpoint.

To bolster food safety, Dr Chan said a comprehensive food safety law is being prepared to gradually regulate foods that have a higher food safety risk or are of wide public concern, with priority given to farmed aquatic produce, vegetables and fruit.

Noting new legislative proposals will be put forward for public discussion in the next legislative session, Dr Chan said enforcement will be enhanced along with inspections at the retail and wholesale levels.

To tie in with the new law, the centre will explore the feasibility of expanding facilities at its Man Kam To Food Control Office.

Meanwhile, a survey on trans fat in Hong Kong foods will soon be launched.