HK Government to Control Feeding Chemicals to Food AnimalsThe Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has proposed to introduce the Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Chemical Residues) Regulation with a view to regulating the feeding of chemicals to food animals including livestock and poultry.A government spokesman said Monday that there was no specific legislation against improper feeding of chemicals to food animals by farmers, and this regulation made under the Public Health (Animals and Birds) Ordinance would solve the problem at source. The regulation will ban the use of seven chemicals by food animal farmers and traders to feed food animals because of the acute and immediate harm they can cause to humans. The seven prohibited chemicals are avoparcin, clenbuterol, chloramphenicol, dienoestrol, diethylstilboestrol, hexoestrol and salbutamol. The regulation also establishes maximum residue limits (MRL) for 37 other chemicals in meat, offal and milk with limits in line with international standards. Under the regulation, it will be an offense for farmers and traders to keep food animals containing prohibited chemicals; to supply food animals or milk containing agricultural and veterinary chemicals exceeding the MRLs; to possess prohibited chemicals or fodder containing or mixed with any prohibited chemical. The regulation would come into operation in two phases. The first phase will cover the seven prohibited chemicals and 10 agricultural and veterinary chemicals, and the second phase will cover the remaining 27 agricultural and veterinary chemicals. The government plans to bring the first phase into operation shortly after the regulation is passed by the Legislative Council, the spokesman said. |
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