Greenpeace says it has found loopholes in Hong Kong's vegetable monitoring system and has issued a joint statement with the fruit and vegetables industry, consumer groups, legislators and political parties, urging the government for the timetable for food safety legislation, so as to strengthen Hong Kong food safety monitoring system.
The environmental group says its findings include banned pesticide still being used in vegetables available in wet markets and the Man Kam To Food Control Office has exaggerated the frequency of sampling taken at the border.
The Heath, Welfare and Food Bureau responded that the government is drafting a comprehensive set of food safety laws. But Greenpeace says the legislative progress announced in the legislative council includes only fish and eggs, while a vegetables legislation timetable is still absent.
Chow Yuen-ping, assistant campaigner of food safety at Greenpeace says. "Fishes, eggs, plus fruit and vegetables safety are all our staple food and the legislation progress should be done simultaneously."
Greenpeace says no improvement has been made since the group first reported pesticides found in vegetables a year ago. According to the testing results, four samples were found to be contaminated by banned pesticide or pesticide residues exceeding standards, including highly toxic banned pesticide Carbofuran found on a Dutch bean sample. One small bak choi sample also contained pesticide residue exceeding EU standards by 4.4 times.
In addition, Greenpeace presented evidence of data manipulation by the FEHD Man Kam To Food Control Office. According to the department's report of the performance pledge, a total of more than 20,000 vehicles carrying vegetables were inspected by the Man Kam To Food Control Office in 2006, equivalent to 100% of all passing vegetable lorries. However, the group has made an on-site documentary in which a great number of lorries loaded with vegetables passed through the Man Kam To Food Control Office, where vegetable lorries are supposed to undergo pesticide residue inspection.
While mainland China has already implemented a series of progressive new measures to improve vegetable supply control, Greenpeace says the Hong Kong Government has no corresponding legislation on regulating imports of fruit and vegetables.
