Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department released the first report under the Second Hong Kong Total Diet Study today (December 20). This report examined the levels of sulphites in food and the associated dietary exposure. The findings showed that the Hong Kong population’s dietary exposure to sulphites was well below the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) allocated for sulphites, indicating a low health concern.

     The Second Hong Kong Total Diet Study aims to estimate the latest dietary exposure of the Hong Kong population and various population subgroups to some chemical substances of potential food safety concern, and in turn assess the associated health risks. The Study commenced in February 2023. A total of over 2 200 samples of over 180 food items were collected and prepared to the status in which the food could be normally consumed. The prepared samples were then pooled to form over 370 composite samples for laboratory analysis of various groups of chemical substances covering food additives, metallic contaminants, mycotoxins, persistent organic pollutants, pesticide residues and process contaminants, etc.

     In this report, sulphites (including sulphur dioxide) refer to a group of multifunctional food additives, particularly as preservatives and antioxidants, which have a long history of use in food production.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, “Acute toxicity of sulphites is low. However, chronic excessive exposure to sulphites was found to cause local irritation of the stomach and induce adverse effects on the central nervous system in experimental animals. Exposure to sulphites may lead to bronchoconstriction and other adverse reactions in certain population subgroups with allergic conditions.”

     The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives allocated a group ADI of 0 to 0.7 milligram/kilogram body weight (bw) to sulphites.

     Out of a total of 185 food items tested for sulphites, only 17 (about 9 per cent) were found to contain sulphites. Dried fruits were detected with the highest mean concentration of sulphites (240 mg/kg), followed by button mushrooms, red and white wine, and preserved vegetables, with a mean concentration of 20 to 30 mg/kg. The remaining food items with detectable levels of sulphites were found with a mean concentration of 10 mg/kg or below.

     According to the findings, the estimated dietary exposure was 0.010 to 0.037 mg/kg bw/day and 0.021 to 0.055 mg/kg bw/day for average and high consumers of the adult population respectively, which accounted for 1.5 to 5.3 per cent and 3.0 to 7.9 per cent of the ADI allocated for sulphites. For the younger population (aged 6 to 17), the estimated dietary exposure was 0.012 to 0.051 mg/kg bw/day and 0.028 to 0.078 mg/kg bw/day for average and high consumers respectively, which accounted for 1.8 to 7.3 per cent and 3.9 to 11 per cent of the ADI.

     The spokesman reminded members of the public to maintain a balanced diet to avoid excessive exposure to sulphites from a small range of food. When purchasing prepackaged food products, consumers can refer to the food labels to know whether the products contain sulphites. In particular, susceptible individuals who are sensitive to sulphites should avoid foods that contain sulphites by paying close attention to the food labels.

     The Second Hong Kong Total Diet Study commenced in February 2023 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The reports of other groups of chemical substances will be released in phases and uploaded to the CFS webpage at www.cfs.gov.hk. read more

     A red tide was sighted over the past week, the Inter-departmental Red Tide Working Group reported today (December 20).

     On December 18, staff of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) spotted a red tide in the south-western waters of Hong Kong, including Ma Wan, Lo Tik Wan, Sok Kwu Wan and Cheung Sha Wan fish culture zones. The red tide still persists, and no associated fish deaths have been reported as of today.

     A spokesman for the working group said, “The red tide was formed by Phaeocystis globosa, which is commonly found in Hong Kong waters. According to literature overseas, the algal species can produce foam that may affect fish.”

     The AFCD urged mariculturists at Lo Tik Wan, Sok Kwu Wan, Ma Wan and Cheung Sha Wan fish culture zones to monitor the situation closely and increase aeration where necessary.

     Red tide is a natural phenomenon. The AFCD’s proactive phytoplankton monitoring programme will continue to monitor red tide occurrences to minimise the impact on the mariculture industry and the public. read more

     To advance the development of a digital government, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is collaborating with Guangdong Province to promote the Cross-boundary Public Services initiative. The Digital Policy Office (DPO) announced today (December 20) the setting up of a Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosk in Huizhou to enable residents and enterprises in Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to access public services of Hong Kong without the need to travel to Hong Kong in person.
 
     Starting today, the public can use the Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosk located on 1/F, Building 1, Huizhou Civic Center, to access various public services of Hong Kong. The opening hours of the kiosk in the Center are 8.30am to noon and 2pm to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays on the Mainland). For details, please visit the Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services thematic website at www.crossboundaryservices.gov.hk/en/home/index.html.
 
     Following the Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosks that commenced operation earlier in Guangzhou, Qianhai and Futian in Shenzhen, and Zhuhai as well as Foshan, the Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosks currently provide a total of 70 public services from 11 government bureaux and departments as well as related organisations, encompassing areas commonly used by enterprises and the public including taxation, company registration, property and vehicle enquiry and registration, application for personal identification documents and entry of talent, welfare and education, healthcare, immigration clearance, urgent assistance as well as culture and tourism. Members of the public can use the self-service kiosks to perform data entry, document scanning and result printing to enjoy one-stop access when applying for various public services.
 
     An “iAM Smart” self-registration kiosk is also set up at the Huizhou location to enable Hong Kong residents working and living on the Mainland to register for “iAM Smart+” and directly use the “iAM Smart” mobile app for one-stop public services, such as renewal of a vehicle licence, application for an International Driving Permit and registration for eHealth. For details and registration requirements, please visit the “iAM Smart” thematic website at www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg.html.
 
     A spokesman for the DPO expressed sincere gratitude to the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data for its strong support, and to the Center for its full co-operation. The DPO will continue to discuss with the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data to set up self-service and self-registration kiosks in more Mainland cities of the GBA to cope with the demands of residents and enterprises in the GBA for public services of Hong Kong.
 
     To implement the State Council’s Guiding Opinions to all provincial governments on Cross-provincial Public Services and their comprehensive deployment, the HKSAR Government accepted the invitation of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province in 2021 to jointly launch the GBA Cross-boundary Public Services, and worked with Guangdong Province in November last year to introduce a dedicated service area/thematic website for Cross-boundary Public Services. The initiative enables enterprises and the public in both regions to enjoy simple and convenient cross-boundary services, with a view to facilitating the provision of public services and investment in the GBA, and enhancing the satisfaction and sense of contentment of enterprises and the public in accessing services across the boundary.

        

     The Government announced today (December 20) that the Chief Executive has reappointed Professor Emily Chan Ying-yang and Mr Brian David Li Man-bun as members of the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee for two years starting from… read more

     The Education Bureau today (December 20) announced that the annual subsidy amount of the Non-means-tested Subsidy Scheme for Self-financing Undergraduate Studies in Hong Kong (NMTSS) will be adjusted upwards from $34,390 in the current academic year to $35,120 in the 2025/26 academic year, in accordance with the movement of the Composite Consumer Price Index.
 
     The adjusted level of subsidy will apply to both new and continuing eligible students. The subsidy is tenable for the normal duration of the programmes concerned. Eligible students enrolling in the relevant programmes will pay a tuition fee with the subsidy applied. Students in need may still apply for student financial assistance from the Student Finance Office of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency in respect of the actual amount of tuition fee payable.
 
     Launched in the 2017/18 academic year, the NMTSS provides a non-means-tested annual subsidy for eligible students pursuing full-time locally accredited local and non-local self-financing undergraduate (including top-up degree) programmes offered by eligible institutions in Hong Kong. In line with the policy to promote vocational and professional education and training (VPET) as stated in “The Chief Executive’s 2022 Policy Address”, with effect from the 2023/24 academic year, the eligibility criteria of the NMTSS have been rationalised to benefit students from different backgrounds, including those with VPET qualifications.
 
     The subsidy applies to all eligible local students enrolling in programmes covered by the Scheme. Applications for the subsidy need to be made through the institutions concerned. A list of the 15 eligible institutions and programmes for the 2025/26 cohort is in the Annex. The list may be updated according to the latest information provided by the institutions. Please visit the NMTSS website (www.cspe.edu.hk/en/nmt/nmt-prog-search) for the latest information about the eligible programmes. read more