The new Food Safety Centre will recruit 70 more staff, including experts, to strengthen its establishment of 400 that used to work in Food & Environmental Hygiene Department.

Speaking on radio talks shows today, Food Safety Controller Dr Mak Sin-ping said food safety control is not an easy job and her priority task is to form a committee comprising specialists, industry participants and representatives of consumer groups to advise the centre and review food safety standards.

The centre will enhance food safety publicity, surveillance and sampling, and liaison with food control authorities on the Mainland and overseas. Liaison with the Mainland will begin with food control authorities in the Pearl River Delta region, citing the Hong Kong and Guangdong food safety agreement signed in April as an example.

Dr Mak said the establishment of the food centre will make liaison with Mainland and overseas food control authorities more effective, as the centre will become the focus of communication.

Satisfactory samples

Meanwhile, tests on 39 vegetable samples collected from a number of supermarkets for examination of pesticide residue have brought satisfactory results.

The tests were arranged following survey findings released by an environmental concern group that allegedly found excessive pesticide residues in some vegetables sold in supermarkets.

The 39 tested samples included vegetables and pulses and the examination comprised checks on 70 pesticides, including DDT, lindane, hexachlorocyclohexane and methamidophos.