Almost all food imported into Hong Kong by air getting through without safety documents, government auditor finds
- Audit Commission report criticises Centre for Food Safety for failing to ensure licences are issued only after importers submit documents
- More than 90 per cent of food consumed in Hong Kong is imported
More than nine in 10 food products imported by air were given official permission to enter Hong Kong despite having no documents to prove they were safe, according to an Audit Commission report.
The report, released on Wednesday, criticised the Centre for Food Safety for failing to ensure import licences were issued only after the importers submitted necessary documents, such as a health certificate, to support safety claims.
The commission conducted a week-long inspection of the centre, which was formed under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in 2006.
“The food and hygiene authorities have to ensure that import licences are issued after submission of supporting documents as far as practicable, and that Centre for Food Safety staff must follow the guidelines on physical inspections,” the 189-page report suggested.
The director of food and hygiene agreed with the audit recommendations, a spokesman for the centre said.
More than 90 per cent of food consumed locally last year was imported, with a total value of over HK$205 billion (US$26.3 billion).
Over the past five years, the centre’s budget rose 32 per cent from HK$448 million to HK$592 million, and more than half of it was used on import control.