Legislation related to veterinary drug residues in food, including regulation of nitrofuran and its metabolites, may be amended to improve safety standards, Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow says.

He today told lawmakers two types of nitrofurans, furaltadone and furazolidone, are not allowed in pork and poultry.

"The existing legislation does not specifically prohibit the presence of nitrofuran metabolite or potassium bromate in food. However, under the Public Health & Municipal Services Ordinance, food sold on the market must be fit for human consumption.

"We are contemplating introducing amendments to existing legislation related to veterinary drug residues in food, including regulation of nitrofuran and its metabolites, with a view to developing a more comprehensive set of food safety standards."

For potassium bromate the Joint Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations-World Health Organisation Expert Committee on Food Additives says its use in flour treatment is inappropriate.

The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department has taken food samples to test the presence of potassium bromate and cautioned the trade against its use.

The department has also issued warnings to and successfully prosecuted traders whose flour products have contained potassium bromate.