Transcript of remarks by SFH at media session

     Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, after attending a meeting of the Legislative Council's Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene today (May 14):

Reporter: (Regarding the culling operation at Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse) Are we going to see the disinfection coming up? And also, the closure of the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse also affected the supply of live beef and mutton. What responses and steps are the Government going to take?

Secretary for Food and Health: Regarding the culling of the pigs, they have already culled nearly all the pigs. Right now, our latest information shows that there are only 300 pigs left. Therefore, after colleagues have culled all the pigs, colleagues will start the cleaning as well as the disinfection work, and hopefully this will be done within one week, so that the slaughtering of the pigs, cows and sheep will be resumed as soon as possible and practical. It is for the public good that we closed the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse. Therefore, I hope everybody would be patient in the next few days while we are cleaning and disinfecting the slaughterhouse.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)