Centre for Food Safety

Centre for Food Safety
食物安全中心
The Centre for Food Safety Logo
Agency overview
Formed2 May 2006 (2006-05-02)
Headquarters43/F Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong
Agency executive
  • Dr WONG Wang, Christine[1], Controller, Centre for Food Safety
Parent agencyFood and Environmental Hygiene Department
Websitewww.cfs.gov.hk

Centre for Food Safety (CFS; Chinese: 食物安全中心) is the food safety authority of the Hong Kong government. Its mission is to ensure food is safe and fit for consumption through tripartite collaboration among the government, food trade, and consumers.[2] The CFS was created in May 2006 under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of the Environment and Ecology Bureau.

History

Plans to form a separate agency to specifically tackle food safety were proposed in 2005, following multiple food safety incidents including an outbreak of Streptococcus suis and freshwater fish contaminated with malachite green.[3][4] At its initial conception, the centre was expected to take a similar structure as the Centre for Health Protection, and bring together experts from various fields to tackle food safety issues.[3]

A proposal for the centre was rejected by the Legislative Council on 18 January 2006, citing concerns of marginalising veterinarians and lacking clarity.[5][6]

Within the first months after the centre is set up, legislators complained that the centre had been doing too little to effective control food safety in Hong Kong.[7]

The department's orange colour is adopted in the Centre logo plus the green colour representing "safety and hope". The letters 'C', 'F' and 'S' are abbreviation for Centre for Food Safety.[2]

References

  1. ^ Organisation Chart of Centre for Food Safety, 15 February 2023, retrieved 3 April 2023
  2. ^ a b Centre for Food Safety – About Us, retrieved 14 April 2015
  3. ^ a b Benitez, Mary Ann (20 August 2005). "Dedicated food safety centre proposed". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  4. ^ Lee, Ella (20 September 2005). "Director baulks at food-safety centre". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  5. ^ Benitez, Mary Ann (18 January 2006). "Proposal for food safety centre sent back to the drawing board". South China Morning Post.
  6. ^ Benitez, Mary Ann (19 January 2006). "Health chiefs in rallying call for food safety centre". South China Morning Post.
  7. ^ Lam, Agnes (25 July 2006). "Food safety centre 'can do more'". South China Morning Post.


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