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Each week our two teenagers debate a hot topic. This week ...
Ronald Ling
The milk scandal has caused panic on the mainland and now in Hong Kong. Many  accuse the government of not doing enough to ensure food safety, but I  have a different view.
It can be argued that the government collects taxes from citizens and hence it should ensure food safety.
I agree  a sound government  should help ensure food safety. But  the government can only conduct spot checks on food products or stop the smuggling of unsafe food ingredients. In other words, the government's power  to ensure food safety is limited. I think the chief responsibility for tainted goods falls on food producers. They are the ones that manufacture the food products and bring them to the market,  making money from  consumers. Producers  should  take responsibility for the food they  produce. This is  a basic obligation  they have to fulfil.
To conclude, we should not rely on  the government  when it comes to food safety.  Food producers should  be responsible and should discipline themselves  to provide safe food to the public.
Anthea Wong
Our world is  very competitive,  and many  industries go to  extremes to attract customers and  make profits.  Food companies are no exception.
It is the government's responsibility to  put in place policies and regulations to ensure food safety. For instance, with the constant introduction of new food products, the government should implement stricter testing procedures  to ensure quality and safety.
This may help prevent contaminated or toxic food from entering the market.
Furthermore, the government should  set heavier penalties for  those who violate the law. This way, food companies will  act more  responsibly  and have more  self-discipline.
Take the current baby milk scandal for example. If the central government had  put in place stricter policies and  had enforced quality control inspections, this incident could have been avoided.
To me, the government should be responsible for ensuring food safety.



Should the government be responsible for ensuring food safety?