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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 1 June 2011 11083 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 1 June 2011 The Council met at Eleven o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE JASPER TSANG YOK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT HO CHUN-YAN IR DR THE HONOURABLE RAYMOND HO CHUNG-TAI, S.B.S., S.B.ST.J., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN DR THE HONOURABLE DAVID LI KWOK-PO, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FRED LI WAH-MING, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE MARGARET NG THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG MAN-KWONG THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS SOPHIE LEUNG LAU YAU-FUN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG DR THE HONOURABLE PHILIP WONG YU-HONG, G.B.S. 11084 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 1 June 2011 THE HONOURABLE WONG YUNG-KAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU KONG-WAH, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MIRIAM LAU KIN-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW CHENG KAR-FOO THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LI FUNG-YING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE AUDREY EU YUET-MEE, S.C., J.P. THE HONOURABLE VINCENT FANG KANG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-HING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE LEE WING-TAT DR THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG HOK-MING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE RONNY TONG KA-WAH, S.C. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 1 June 2011 11085 THE HONOURABLE CHIM PUI-CHUNG PROF THE HONOURABLE PATRICK LAU SAU-SHING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KAM NAI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE CYD HO SAU-LAN THE HONOURABLE STARRY LEE WAI-KING, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LAM TAI-FAI, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAK-KAN THE HONOURABLE PAUL CHAN MO-PO, M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KIN-POR, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PRISCILLA LEUNG MEI-FUN DR THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KA-LAU THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-CHE THE HONOURABLE WONG SING-CHI THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-KIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE IP WAI-MING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE IP KWOK-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PAN PEY-CHYOU THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN DR THE HONOURABLE SAMSON TAM WAI-HO, J.P. 11086 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 1 June 2011 THE HONOURABLE ALAN LEONG KAH-KIT, S.C. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG THE HONOURABLE TANYA CHAN THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE WONG YUK-MAN MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TIMOTHY FOK TSUN-TING, G.B.S., J.P. PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE JOHN TSANG CHUN-WAH, G.B.M., J.P. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY DR THE HONOURABLE YORK CHOW YAT-NGOK, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH THE HONOURABLE MATTHEW CHEUNG KIN-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR LABOUR AND WELFARE PROF THE HONOURABLE K C CHAN, S.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY THE HONOURABLE MRS CARRIE LAM CHENG YUET-NGOR, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT DR KITTY POON KIT, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 1 June 2011 11087 THE HONOURABLE EVA CHENG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING MR GREGORY SO KAM-LEUNG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MR YAU SHING-MU, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MS PAULINE NG MAN-WAH, SECRETARY GENERAL MRS CONSTANCE LI TSOI YEUK-LIN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MISS ODELIA LEUNG HING-YEE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS JUSTINA LAM CHENG BO-LING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 11088 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 1 June 2011 PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Will the Clerk please ring the bell to summon Members to the Chamber? (After the summoning bell had been rung, a number of Members entered the Chamber) TABLING OF PAPERS The following papers were laid on the table under Rule 21(2) of the Rules of Procedure: Subsidiary Legislation/Instrument L.N. No. Designation of Libraries Order 2011 ................................. 98/2011 Other Papers No. 95 ─ Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation Annual Report 2010 Report No. 23/10-11 of the House Committee on Consideration of Subsidiary Legislation and Other Instruments QUESTION UNDER RULE 24(4) OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Questions. In accordance with Rule 24(4) of the Rules of Procedure, I have granted Mr Alan LEONG's request to raise an urgent question. Measures to Prevent Import and Sale of Food Products Containing Plasticizer MR ALAN LEONG (in Cantonese): President, quite a number of food items in Taiwan have recently been found to contain carcinogenic plasticizer, and LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 1 June 2011 11089 according to a study conducted by a university, 99% of the blood samples from 200 members of the public contain plasticizer, and the source of contamination may even be toys, food and other plastic products, but the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has not included plasticizer in the regular food surveillance programme of Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (a) what measures the Government has taken in the face of this incident to prevent Taiwanese food products which have been contaminated by plasticizer from being imported into Hong Kong; and how the authorities will track and test whether the food products previously imported from Taiwan have been contaminated by plasticizer; (b) given that plasticizer is widely used as an industrial raw material but the CFS has not included it in the regular food surveillance programme of Hong Kong, and the food products imported from around the world may be contaminated by plasticizer, whether the authorities have, in respect of the process of handling imported food, established a mechanism with local governments around the world for crisis management and notification, so as to fully grasp information on food sources and prevent food products which have been contaminated by plasticizer from being imported into Hong Kong; and (c) given the results of the aforesaid study, quite a number of members of the public are worried about the impact on their health conditions, whether the authorities will announce as soon as possible how plasticizer is being used, its impact on human body and possible ways of contamination, so that the public can make timely prevention? SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH (in Cantonese): President, the Government has all along been adopting a multi-pronged approach to enhance food safety and protect public health. In 2006, the Government established the CFS as the specialized agent in the work of food safety, and to liaise with food safety authorities in the Mainland and overseas jurisdictions. Adopting the "from farm to table" strategy, the CFS exercises control at source by requiring a health certificate for the import of high-risk food items. It also collects around 11090 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 1 June 2011 65 000 food samples each year at import, wholesale and retail levels for testing under its food surveillance programme, covering commonly consumed food items as well as seasonal food items. During food incidents, CFS colleagues work tirelessly to safeguard food safety. In fact, the risk analysis work of the CFS has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). Since October 2010, the CFS has been designated as the WHO Collaborating Centre for Risk Analysis of Chemicals in Food, participating in the food contamination monitoring and assessment programme. Regarding Taiwan's recent incident of finding plasticizer in food, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Taiwan announced on 23 May 2011 that a plasticizer di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) had been detected in 16 samples of drinks at levels up to 34.1 parts per million (ppm). According to the list of affected drinks published by the FDA, the CFS immediately followed up and conducted inspections at the retail outlets, but could not find any relevant Taiwan sports drinks in the market. Through the subsequent information provided by the Taiwanese authority, the CFS noted that two sports drinks ("Speed sports drink" and "Speed lemon flavour sports drink") which were produced in Taiwan and suspected to be contaminated with DEHP, had been distributed to Hong Kong. The CFS collected six samples from various batches of the two sports drinks from the sole importer for testing at the Government Laboratory. At that time, the company and the retailers concerned had already suspended sale and started recalling the affected products. Results obtained on 30 May 2011 indicated that all the six samples of the two sports drinks contained DEHP at levels ranging from 11 to 43 ppm. Dietary exposure estimation revealed that the exposure of DEHP from the consumption of the above samples by average consumers (daily consumption of about half bottle of 600 ml sports drink) and high consumers (daily consumption of about one bottle of 600 ml sports drink) would exceed the safety reference value, that is, the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 0.025 mg/kg of body weight under the WHO Guidelines for drinking-water quality (also exceed the TDI of 0.05 mg/kg of body weight established by the European Food Safety Authority regarding high consumers), which may pose a risk to human health.

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