The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, will pay a duty visit to Beijing from December 15 to 18. The Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will join the visit.

     During the stay in Beijing, Mrs Lam will meet with state leaders and brief them on the latest economic, social and political situation in Hong Kong. She will also officiate at the opening ceremony of "The Oral Legacies: Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" Exhibition Month, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, at Prince Kung's Mansion Museum in the evening on December 15.
 
     During Mrs Lam's absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, will be the Acting Chief Executive.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 11) that a fresh pork sample was found to contain sulphur dioxide, a preservative which is not permitted to be used in fresh meat. The CFS is following up on the case.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS took the fresh pork sample from a fresh provision shop in Sha Tin for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained sulphur dioxide at a level of 14 parts per million."

     According to the Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap 132BD), it is an offence to add sulphur dioxide to fresh or chilled meat. The maximum penalty is a $50,000 fine and six months' imprisonment.

     The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the above-mentioned irregularity.

     Sulphur dioxide is a commonly used preservative in a variety of foods including dried fruits, pickled vegetables and meat products such as sausages and grilled burgers, but under the Regulation it is not permitted in fresh or chilled meat. Nonetheless, individual meat traders have been found illegally using sulphur dioxide to make meat look fresher. This preservative is of low toxicity. As it is water soluble, most of it can be removed through washing and cooking. However, susceptible individuals who are allergic to this preservative may experience breathing difficulties, headache and nausea.

     The spokesman reminded the food trade to comply with the law and not to sell fresh or chilled meat adulterated with sulphur dioxide. Members of the public should purchase meat from reliable market stalls or fresh provision shops. They should avoid buying or consuming meat which is unnaturally red and maintain a balanced diet to avoid malnutrition or excessive exposure to chemicals from a small range of food items.

     The CFS will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action. Investigation is on-going.

     Police today (December 11) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Kwai Chung.

     Kwok Fat-yu, aged 72, went missing after he was last seen at Kwai Chung Estate last night (December 10). His family made a report to Police today.

     He is about 1.4 metres tall, 40 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a square face with yellow complexion, short white and grey hair and a humped back. He was last seen wearing an apricot long-sleeved jacket, dark trousers, slippers, a red and white coloured scarf on his head and carrying a black umbrella.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of New Territories South on 3661 1173, 5313 7486 or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     Police today (December 11) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Sham Shui Po.

     Chen Xicun, aged 47, went missing after he was last seen at Shek Kip Mei Park last night (December 10). His family made a report to Police today.

     He is about 1.65 metres tall, 64 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a long face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, grey trousers and black shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8036 or 9020 6542 or email to rmpu-kw-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

    The Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, today (December 11) expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the veteran educationist, Father Alfred Deignan.

     Mr Yeung said, "During Father Deignan's educational mission over the past few decades, many in Hong Kong have learned from his example, and benefited from his constancy, dedication and capacious sympathy.

     "Father Deignan's achievements were not only witnessed at Wah Yan College, Hong Kong and Wah Yan College, Kowloon, where he served in the posts of vice-principal and principal from the 1960s to the 1990s, but also in other Catholic schools as he, based on his professional training and frontline experience of working with young people, devised courses on self-development and human relations for school use."

     In 1997, together with a group of dedicated educationists in tertiary and secondary institutions, Father Deignan established the Hong Kong International Institute of Educational Leadership with a view to fostering a community which is fair, honest, just, caring, compassionate, responsible, trustworthy, generous and courageous.

     Mr Yeung said that Father Deignan will certainly be missed by members of the education sector and the people of Hong Kong who have benefitted from his guidance.