The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said yesterday that its administrative regulations on the maximum limits for heavy metal contaminants in foods will be revised, the public consultation period of which runs until the end of this month, and feedback from the industry and the public is welcome.
The officials made the remarks during a meeting with members of the government-appointed Northern District Community Service Consultative Council at the Patane Municipal Market Complex (沙梨頭街市市政綜合大樓).
Briefing reporters after yesterday’s closed-door meeting, Ip Weng Hong, a member of the government-appointed council, noted that since the current regulations came into effect in 2018, the Codex Alimentarius Commission* (CAC) international food standards, the authorities in the Chinese mainland, and other regions close to Macau have updated their relevant standards, so that the upcoming revision aims to align Macau’s standards with these updates.
Chan Ian Ian, a deputy convener of the council, noted that the revision focuses on a total of 135 maximum levels for five types of heavy metal contaminants in food (including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and tin). She pointed out that the heavy metal contaminants in vegetables, cereals, aquatic products and various other types of food may exceed maximum levels.
Following the internationally accepted “As Low As Reasonably Achievable” (ALARA) principle, the revision can manage heavy metal content in food through legislation and the promotion of good agricultural standards as well as proper food manufacturing practices, Chan said.
To date, 13 food safety standards have been promulgated and implemented in Macau in phases. Among these, two have been updated and three have been repealed, essentially completing the Macau food safety framework’s standards, which have been notified to the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation (WTO), Chan added.
Chan said that the current phase focuses on reviewing existing standards, strengthening supervision and enforcement, and integrating domestic and international standard updates, aiming to optimise food safety standards and supervision in a timely manner.
* The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of internationally adopted food standards and related texts presented in a uniform manner. It is overseen by the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nation and the Geneva-based World Health Organisation (WHO). – FAO
Northern District Community Service Consultative Council Deputy Convener Chan Ian Ian (right) and fellow council member Ip Weng Hong look on during yesterday’s press briefing after the government-appointed council’s closed-door meeting at the Patane Municipal Market Complex (沙梨頭街市市政綜合大樓). – Photo: Ida Cheong
