HONG KONG, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- The food safety authority of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said on Friday it has ceased the hold-and-test arrangements at import level for eggs from European Union (EU) member states.
The Center for Food Safety (CFS) of the HKSAR government's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department started holding eggs from EU countries for testing at import level in August, when eggs from EU countries were detected with excessive fipronil, a pesticide.
In view of latest information provided by the EU that all its members have carried out control measures to ensure eggs exported to Hong Kong are not contaminated with fipronil and are in compliance with regulatory requirements, the CFS has decided to cease the hold-and-test arrangements for eggs from EU countries at import level with immediate effect, the CFS said.
"According to the latest information we have obtained, the EU has already implemented a co-ordinated EU-wide monitoring plan on the presence of illegally used chemical substances in eggs and poultry meat, and EU countries have also taken effective measures to monitor farms and markets within their territories to ensure that only poultry eggs and egg products meeting the local legal requirements would be exported to Hong Kong," said a spokesman of the CFS.
According to the spokesman, the CFS has stepped up surveillance on the local market since the incident. Other than the unsatisfactory samples which were announced earlier, the CFS has collected 226 samples of eggs imported from EU countries for chemical testing and all test results were satisfactory.
"The CFS has taken appropriate follow-up action regarding the unsatisfactory samples," the spokesman said, adding that the CFS will carry on testing eggs from EU countries at import, wholesale and retail levels on a risk-based principle, and maintain liaison with the EU and the trade so as to continue safeguarding food safety and public health.
