• Ensuring food safety is a major policy objective of theGovernment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.To enhance the food safety regulatory functions and to meetthe growing public expectation for better food safety standards,the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) was established in May 2006under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.The establishment of the CFS allows the Administration to bemore focused on the approach on controlling and regulatingfood safety.

I n t r o d u c t i o n

The Centre for Food Safety

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• The CFS aims to protect the health of people in HongKong through the development and implementation ofeffective food safety control measures.

• The CFS is committed to enhancing food safety throughproactive tripartite collaboration among the Government, foodtrade and consumers to ensure that food available for sale inHong Kong is safe, wholesome and fit for human consumption.

V i s i o n M i s s i o n

The Centre for Food Safety

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• The CFS adopts a food safety risk analysis framework promulgated by international foodsafety authorities, which encompasses risk assessment, risk management and riskcommunication.

• The CFS also adopts a multi-disciplinary team approach to ensure food safety. In additionto public health physicians and nurses, veterinarians and health inspectors, other foodexperts of the CFS include food chemists, nutritionists, food biotechnologist, foodtoxicologist and food scientists.

• The CFS works closely with international food organisations and relevant authorities of thecountries/regions exporting food to Hong Kong to achieve effective control on food safety.

• The CFS also makes use of best available science and evidence to guide the decisionmaking process and makes reference to international best practice in their work.

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A p p r o a c h

食 物 安 全 的 伙 伴 關 係

業界

政府

消費者

Partnership in Food Safety

Government

Food Trade Consumer

風 險 分 析

風險評估 風險管理

風險傳達

Risk Assessment Risk Management

Risk Communication

Risk Analysis

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The Centre for Food Safety

Food Surveillance and Control Division

Risk Management Section• Investigates and manages food incidents• Investigates food borne illness outbreaks

at food premises

Food Surveillance and Certification Section• Implements a territory-wide food

surveillance programme• Exercises food import control and export

certification• Conducts audit inspections of food

processing plants• Enforces food legislations

Food Chemistry Section• Coordinates food tests• Provides professional advice on food

safety standards, food chemistry andrelated tests

Veterinary Public Health Section• Operates disease surveillance

programme for food animals inslaughterhouses

• Exercises import control on live foodanimal and poultry

• Conducts audit inspections to farmsexporting live food animals and productsto Hong Kong

Risk Assessment andCommunication Division

Risk Assessment Section• Conducts studies of food-related hazards

and assesses risks• Monitors regularly food incidents and

provides advice on food safety standards

Risk Communication Section • Organises promotional and educational

activities on food safety• Communicates with trade and

consumers through various channels• Handles public enquiries on food safety

Food Research Laboratory Section• Conducts chemical testing and food

research• Provides scientific data and information

for risk assessment

.

Centre AdministrationDivision• Provides administrative

support services includingaccommodation,personnel andestablishment, financialand accounting, and othergeneral matters

食 物 安 全 中 心 組 織 圖 Organisat ion Chart of the CFS

食物安全中心行政科Centre Administration Division

食物監察及管制科Food Surveillance and

Control Division

風險評估及傳達科Risk Assessment and

Communication Division

風險管理組Risk Management

Section

食物監察及驗證組Food Surveillance and Certification Section

食物化驗組Food Chemistry

Section

獸醫公共 生組Veterinary Public

Health Section

食物研究化驗組Food Research

Laboratory Section

風險評估組Risk Assessment

Section

風險傳達組Risk Communication

Section

食 物 安 全 專 員Controller, Centre for Food Safety

食 物 環 境 生 署 署 長Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene

The Centre for Food Safety

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• Food surveillance, safety control of imported food and food animals andmanagement of food incidents are key components of risk management and the food safetycontrol regime in Hong Kong. The CFS enhances its work and deploys resourceseffectively on food surveillance and sampling and handling of food incidents.

• Control at source is increasingly recognised as an effective control mode in food safety.Strengthening its control work at source, the CFS conducts visits to Mainland and overseasfood animal farms and food processing plants. With the well established channels, the CFSalso makes regular contact and communication with respective food authorities of theregions/countries which export food to Hong Kong, inparticular the relevant Mainland provincial andmunicipal authorities to enhance communication onmajor food incidents and to deal with any food safetymatters that may have cross-boundary implications.

Risk Management

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• The CFS, in collaboration with the Centre for HealthProtection, investigates outbreaks of food poisoning and food borne infectious diseases infood premises, identifies the contributing factors in the outbreaks and assists in tracingsources of unwholesome food. The CFS also educates the food handlers about food,personal and environmental hygiene at the food premises concerned.

• The CFS monitors food incidents, both local and overseas, on a daily basis. These incidentsare evaluated with respect to their impact on local public health. Follow up actions areinitiated whenever necessary to safeguard food safety and protect public health.

Risk Management

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Risk Assessment

• Risk assessment forms the scientific basis of riskmanagement and communication in the risk-basedfood safety control model adopted by the CFS. Forbetter protection of public health, the CFSstrengthens its risk assessment capability throughconducting population based food consumptionsurvey and developing up-to-date risk assessmentmethodologies. Surveys and risk assessment studiesaddressing the public health concerns of thecommunity are in the pipeline to assess the foodsafety risks of the local population.

• Results of risk assessment studies aretranslated into useful foodsafety information for thepublic in the form of “Risk inBrief ” and risk assessmentreports. They are available atthe CFS website.

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Risk Communication

• Risk communication is an important component of risk analysis. Through variouscommunication channels (e.g. CFS website, e-mails, Announcements in the PublicInterest on television and radio, media briefings, pamphlets, seminars, workshops, etc), theCFS disseminates information to the public and food trade in a timely manner.

• With the establishment of the CFS, a series of new initiatives andactivities have been organised to enhance risk communication withthe trade and the public.

The Trade Consultation Forum, a new initiative of the CFS, is organised regularly to providea platform for the Government to exchange views with the food trade on various food safetyissues, and to collect views and feedback on risk communication programmes.

Trade Consultation Forum

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Risk Communication

“Food Safety Focus” is a monthly electronic newsletter introduced by the CFS, providing anew channel of communication with the general public through the Internet. Thepublication is available on the CFS homepage. It aims to attract readership who areinterested in gaining more in-depth understanding of recent food incidents, food safetymeasures to reduce the risk and the Government preparedness and response in handlingthem. There is another publication entitled “Food Safety Bulletin” which is published on aquarterly basis. Other food safety information such as “Food Alerts”, “Risk in Brief” areuploaded onto the web whenever appropriate.

Consumer Liaison Group “ Food Safety Focus” and Other Publications

The Consumer Liaison Group provides a platform for better communication with the publicon various food safety issues so as to collect suggestions and comments from them; and tounderstand public's knowledge,beliefs and risk perception onvarious food safety issues inorder to tailor riskcommunication messages tomeet their needs.

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Risk Communication

To heighten awareness of the food trade and public onfood safety, Food Safety Day is organised each year.The event features a variety show hosted bycelebrities and artistes, together with computergames and game booths to promote food safety. It ispart and parcel of the annual Food HygieneCampaign which promotes “Hazard Analysis andCritical Control Point System” and food safetyconcepts to the trade and public at large. A series ofseminars and roving exhibitions are also organisedacross the territory to disseminate the message onfood safety to the target audiences.

Food Safety Day and Food HygieneCampaign

Expert Committee on Food Safety

To further strengthen the consultative framework on food safety, an Expert Committee onFood Safety is set up under the CFS. The Expert Committee consists of academics,professionals, food experts, members of the trade and consumer group and is responsiblefor advising the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene on food safety operationalstrategies and measures to protect public health, standards/guidelines relating to foodsafety and composition and their suitable adoption in Hong Kong. The Committee alsoadvises on the implementation of food safety risk communication and public educationprogramme, as well as new directions for research to be commissioned by the CFS.

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For enquiries, please contact usAddress: 43/F, Queensway Government Offices,

66 Queensway, Hong Kong.Tel: (852) 2381 6096Fax: (852) 2893 3547E-mail: enquiries@fehd.gov.hkWebsite: www.cfs.gov.hk