The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (June 11) announced that a sample of bottled preserved bean curd was found to contain an excessive amount of Bacillus cereus. Members of the public should not consume the affected batch of the product. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batch of the product immediately if they possess it.

     Product details are as follows:

Product name: PRESERVED BEANCURD
Brand: YUET WO
Place of origin: China
Net weight: 12 ounces
Best-before date: May 30, 2025
Distributor: Yuet Wo Sauce And Preserved Fruits Limited

     "The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a retail outlet in Tsuen Wan for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained Bacillus cereus at a level of 130 000 per gram. According to the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, if ready-to-eat food contains Bacillus cereus at a level of more than 100 000 per gram, it is considered unsatisfactory," a spokesman for the CFS said.

     The spokesman said that the CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and has instructed the vendor to stop sales and to remove from shelves the affected batch of the product. The distributor concerned has initiated a recall of the affected batch of the product according to the CFS's instructions. Members of the public may call the distributor's hotline at 2492 3354 during office hours for enquiries about the product recall. 

     "Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment. Unhygienic conditions in food processing and storage may give rise to its growth. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus or its heat-stable toxins may cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea," the spokesman said.

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

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Ms Shirley Lam, and representatives of participating corporates today (June 11) officiated at the kick off ceremony of the Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas 2024.

     Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan said that the Scheme has been well regarded since its launch in 2018, and has benefitted over 700 Hong Kong youth so far. He described the Scheme as highlighting Hong Kong's distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world. It has provided local youth with opportunities to widen their horizons outside Hong Kong and gain first-hand understanding of the history, culture and social developments of different places. Mr Chan expressed sincere gratitude to the participating corporates for providing internship placements and comprehensive training and support for the interns. He also encouraged the interns to proactively learn, exchange ideas, and equip themselves during the internship, and at the same time unleash their full potential and talent.

     Mr Chan added that the Government would continue to rally the support of the business sector as well as other sectors in society to open up more development opportunities for young people, nurture more young talent for Hong Kong, promote high-quality socioeconomic development and attain more achievements.

     A record high of 25 corporates are participating in the Scheme this year (refer to the Annex for the list of participating corporates). They provide internship placements covering multiple industries, including financial services, innovation and technology, logistics, property development, construction, retail, hospitality, public utilities, etc, spanning different Mainland provinces and cities, and seven overseas countries (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, Singapore and Indonesia). The recruited interns will depart from June onwards to undertake internship placements of no less than six weeks.

    

     The Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan, will depart for Beijing tomorrow (June 12) for a three-day visit.

     During his visit to Beijing, Mr Cheung will call on the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) and the Committee for the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the NPCSC, the Supreme People's Court, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Justice and the General Administration of Sport of China, to meet with the respective leaders and exchange views on issues including promoting Hong Kong as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region, taking forward the construction of rule of law in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and contributing to the high-quality development of the country.

     He will also visit the Commercial Legal Service Center of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Peking University Law School to strengthen co-operation with relevant organisations.

     Mr Cheung will conclude his visit on June 14 and return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on the same day.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation to Wuhan today (June 11) to attend the Chinese Organ Donation Day cum the 8th Chinese Transplant Games organised by the China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation, and to meet with the Health Commission of Hubei Province for an exchange of views. 

     Professor Lo said, "Organ donation is a selfless and generous act of benevolence to save lives. Over the years, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been committed to cultivating support for organ donation in society, with a view to nurturing a culture that embraces organ donation, thereby rekindling hope for patients awaiting organ transplants to live a new life.

     "I joined this meaningful occasion today with great pleasure and cheered in person for Hong Kong athletes. Eight Hong Kong athletes who have received organ transplants are participating in the badminton and table tennis events. Apart from the competitions, we also stand together to promote the noble cause of organ donation and pay tribute to organ donors. I am hopeful that more citizens will support organ donation, thus giving patients awaiting organ transplants a chance to have a new lease of life."

     Professor Lo and his delegation earlier met with officials of the Health Commission of Hubei Province to exchange views on the healthcare developments of the two places and discuss further promotion of co-operation between Hubei and Hong Kong in the healthcare realm. Professor Lo and his delegation also visited the Wuhan Asia General Hospital to learn about the hospital's air rescue services and its facilities in the cardiovascular disease wards. The hospital, a Hong Kong enterprise, is a large-scale clinical healthcare centre established in accordance with the standards of a Tier III Class A hospital. At the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic, the hospital was the very first non-public hospital in Wuhan designated to offer treatment to COVID-19 patients. The hospital also pledged to accord priority to admitting infected Hong Kong residents in Wuhan at the height of the epidemic, and subsequently supported Hong Kong's anti-epidemic work through the provision of test kits.  

     The delegation members include the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Tony Ko, as well as officials of the Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the HA. Professor Lo and his delegation will return to Hong Kong tomorrow (June 12). During his absence, the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, is the Acting Secretary for Health.

            

     The China Manned Space Agency announced today (June 11) the completion of the recruitment of the fourth batch of preparatory astronauts. One of the selected preparatory astronauts is a payload specialist from Hong Kong.

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said, "This is the first time that a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) citizen has been selected as a preparatory astronaut, specifically a payload specialist, under the National Manned Space Programme after an extremely rigorous selection process. The payload specialist may have the opportunity to conduct scientific research in space and contribute to the country's aerospace development. This writes glorious history for the Hong Kong SAR and makes the whole of Hong Kong proud."

     "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Central Government for its care for Hong Kong and for the opportunity for Hong Kong people to take part in the recruitment exercise. The selection of a Hong Kong citizen as a payload specialist signifies the distinctive role that Hong Kong plays under 'one country, two systems' through having the opportunity to take part in the national space programme. The selection of the first ever preparatory astronaut from Hong Kong also illustrates the importance the country has attached to the innovation and technology (I&T) development in Hong Kong, as well as its recognition of the capability of our I&T talent. Furthermore, it showcases the determination and perseverance of Hong Kong's young people in striving to make their dreams come true. The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to implement a series of measures to nurture more research talent, with a view to supporting Hong Kong's development as an international I&T centre and contributing to the country's development into a nation that is strong in science and technology. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong SAR Government will render full support to the payload specialist and the family members for contributing to this mission of national glory," the Chief Executive added.

     In the second half of 2022, the country launched the recruitment exercise of the fourth batch of preparatory astronauts, and the selection of payload specialists took place in the Hong Kong SAR for the first time. The recruitment comprised three phases, namely preliminary screening, second round, and final round of selection. The fourth batch of preparatory astronauts will later receive training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center. Payload specialists are a category of astronauts classified by types of missions. They are professional scientific researchers who carry out scientific and applied research in space stations.