Hong Kong Democratic Party lawmaker, Helena Wong Pik-wan, has raised concerns about the safety of fresh produce imports that are arriving in the Asia nation by sea.
Speaking with the South China MorningPost, Wongsaid surveillance at the Kwai Chung container terminal was too relaxed, with health officers only inspecting consignments once they have been moved to storage areas. Wong believes this provides importers with the opportunity to immediately move their goods onto nearby wholesale outlets, hence avoiding the inspection process. Aiding the process, Honk Kong importers can file their declarations up to 14 days after their consignments arrive, providing ample opportunity for small volumes to moved without authorities being alerted.
“If the health officers want to conduct checks after getting the details of the import declaration, but the imported food is already distributed in the market for sale, how can the health officers trace the food and conduct checks?,” Wong told the South China MorningPost.
Throwing weight behind her claim, Wong said that a vendor at the Yau Ma Tei wholesale fruit market recently sold a box of carrots from Chiba, one of five Japanese prefectures that importers have been banned from sourcing from following the Fukushima nuclear power disaster. A further two boxes had been marked for sale until food safety officers inspected the vendor following a customer complaint.
“It has exposed … loopholes in our food safety system,' Wong said. 'We do not know if there is more banned food being sold in the city that has not been discovered by the government.”
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