Press Releases

Regulation on feeding chemicals to food animals takes effect
Monday, December 31, 2001

The first phase of the Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Chemical Residues) Regulation takes effect from today (December 31) to regulate the feeding of chemicals to food animals including livestock and poultry.

A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said that the first phase control would cover seven prohibited chemicals and 10 agricultural and veterinary chemicals.

"Under the new Regulation, the use in food animals of seven chemicals by food animal farmers and traders is banned because of the serious risk they pose to man. These seven prohibited chemicals are avoparcin, clenbuterol, chloramphenicol, dienoestrol, diethylstilboestrol, hexoestrol and salbutamol.

"The Regulation also sets down the maximum residue limits (MRL) in line with international standards for 10 chemicals in meat, offal and milk. The 10 chemicals for which we have prescribed MRL are cloxacillin, dicloxacillin, ampicillin, amoxycillin, benzylpenicillin, sulfonamides, chlortetracycline, oxytetracylcine, doxycycline and tetracycline," the spokesman said.

To strengthen the current voluntary tracing and identification system, the Regulation also requires farmers and traders to identify their food animals such as pigs, cattle and goats destined for slaughter by tattoo or ear tag.

It also requires suppliers of fodder to furnish information on the contents and the proper manner of use of fodder containing any agricultural and veterinary chemical.

The spokesman said it would be an offence for farmers and traders to keep food animals containing prohibited chemicals or to supply food animals or milk containing agricultural and veterinary chemicals exceeding the MRL.

It would also be an offence for farmers and animal traders to possess prohibited chemicals or fodder containing any prohibited chemical. Anyone supplying such chemicals or fodder to food animal farmers and traders would also be committing an offence. The maximum penalty for these offences is a fine of $100,000.

Under the Regulation, the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation is empowered to suspend supply of and to recall food animals or fodder that are suspected of chemical contamination.

"We have provided training to farmers and traders to facilitate compliance with the controls and will continue to do so," the spokesman added.

To tie in with the introduction of the new Regulation under the Public Health (Animals and Birds) Ordinance (Cap. 139), the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) has also been amended to incorporate the same safety standards in food. For this purpose, the Harmful Substances in Food (Amendment) Regulation 2001 (Cap. 132) will come into operation simultaneously today.