The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (August 9) announced that a sample of prepackaged white rice imported from Japan was detected with cadmium, a metallic contaminant, exceeding the legal limit. The CFS is following up on the case.

     Details of the product are as follows:

Product name: Not available in English 
Place of origin: Japan
Importer: Itochu Logistics (HK) Limited
Net weight: 2 kilograms
Production date: July 12, 2018

     "The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample at import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The result showed that the sample contained cadmium at a level of 0.16 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the legal limit of 0.1ppm. The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularity. The product concerned has not entered the market," a CFS spokesman said.

     "Based on the level of cadmium detected in the sample, adverse health effects will not be caused under usual consumption," the spokesman said.

     According to the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap 132V), any person who sells food with metallic contamination above the legal limits is liable upon conviction to a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.

     The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, continue to follow up and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

     Please broadcast the following message as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     As Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No.1 has been issued, the Marine Department reminds vessel owners, masters and persons-in-charge of vessels that they should take precautionary measures immediately and properly secure their vessels at safe locations.

     In case of an accident, a report should be made immediately to the Vessel Traffic Centre at 2233 7801.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

     Please broadcast the following message as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     As Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No.1 has been issued, the Marine Department reminds vessel owners, masters and persons-in-charge of vessels that they should take precautionary measures immediately and properly secure their vessels at safe locations.

     In case of an accident, a report should be made immediately to the Vessel Traffic Centre at 2233 7801.

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, today (August 9) visited Dongguan to meet with senior officials and keep himself abreast of the latest developments in the high-tech industry.
      
     Following his visit to Shenzhen two days ago, Dongguan is the second city visited by Mr Chan in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area this week.
      
     He first visited the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) facility, including its control centre and underground accelerator facilities. The CSNS is one of the key science and technology infrastructure projects of the National 11th Five-Year Plan, and is the fourth neutron source facility in the world. The CSNS can be used widely in scientific research in different areas, such as materials science, life science, physics, chemistry and new energy.

     He then visited Songshan Lake Xbot Park to learn about its work in entrepreneurial incubation in robotics and related fields as well as nurturing relevant talents.
      
     Mr Chan called on the Secretary of the CPC Dongguan Municipal Committee, Mr Liang Weidong, and the Mayor of the Dongguan Municipal Government, Mr Xiao Yafei, and had lunch with them.

     Mr Chan said that Dongguan has a strategic location in the Bay Area and is an advanced manufacturing base. He expressed the hope that Hong Kong and Dongguan can further collaborate in commercialisation of results of scientific and technological research, and join hands to promote the development of the Bay Area.

     In the afternoon, Mr Chan visited a Hong Kong-invested electronic product company and a multinational corporation manufacturing mobile communication devices.
      
     Concluding the visit, Mr Chan returned to Hong Kong in the evening.

          

     The Security Bureau today (August 9) launched a two-month public consultation to seek views on the legislative proposal for improving the fire safety of old industrial buildings.

     To upgrade the fire safety standards of old industrial buildings, the Government proposes to introduce a new piece of legislation to mandate owners and occupiers of pre-1987 industrial buildings to upgrade the requirements of fire service installations and equipment as well as fire safety construction of their buildings.

     The new legislation targets buildings which were wholly or partly constructed to be used as a factory, workshop, industrial undertaking, godown, warehouse, place of bulk storage or similar industrial establishment on or before March 1, 1987, or those constructed for the aforesaid uses with their building plans first submitted to the Building Authority for approval on or before the same date. Under the new legislation, the Director of Fire Services and Director of Buildings, being the enforcement authorities, will inspect the target buildings and serve fire safety directions to require the owners and/or occupiers to upgrade the fire safety of such buildings to the required standard. The owners and/or occupiers must comply with the requirements within the period as stipulated in the directions.

     The consultation paper on the legislative proposal is now available on the website www.sb.gov.hk/eng/special/consultation/ib-bill.htm.

     Members of the public are invited to submit their views to the Security Bureau by mail to 9th Floor, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong; by fax to 2868 9159; or by email to fsibb_consultation@sb.gov.hk. The consultation will end on October 8, 2018.