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ENG
2010.09
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The Introduction of Food Safety Bill

The LegCo has set up a bill committee on Food Safety Bill, which will enhance food trace-ability with the food importers and distributors registration scheme and record-keeping regulations. 
In principal, I support the bill for the Administrations to locate the source of food promptly during food incidents.  However, I have concerns that small and medium enterprises may find it difficult to spare space and manpower for keeping transaction records.  Small food tenants doing business in cash may not have a system in keeping transaction records. 

As one of the bill committee members, I have requested the Government to give due consideration to relax record-keeping regulations and the proposed penalty.  The meetings will be resumed for the scrutiny of the Bill in September and I will keep you informed of the progress through my website and the blog.

Summary of the Proposed Food Safety Bill:
-Food retailers whose principal business is not the distribution or supply of food by wholesale would not be required to register.
-As a business facilitation measure, food importers or distributors who have already registered or obtained a licence under Cap. 132X, they would not be required to register with DFEH again under the Food Safety Bill.
-The capture or transaction records must be kept for a period of three months for live aquatic products and food with a shelf-life of three months or less, e.g. fresh meat or 24 months for food with a shelf-life over three months, e.g. canned food.
-The maximum penalty for non-compliance with the registration requirement, without reasonable excuse, will be a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months.
-The maximum penalty for non-compliance with the record-keeping requirement, without reasonable excuse, will be a fine at level 3 ($10,000) and imprisonment for three months.
-There would be a grace period of six months.

For details, please go to http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr09-10/english/bills/brief/b28_brf.pdf