Miss Alice Mak Launches Entrepreneurship Event for Hong Kong and Macao Youths in Hengqin

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs attends kick-off ceremony of entrepreneurship event for Hong Kong and Macao youths in Hengqin, Zhuhai

The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, arrived in Hengqin, Zhuhai, this morning (September 23) to attend the kick-off ceremony of an entrepreneurship event for Hong Kong and Macao youths.

With the theme of "New Quality Productive Forces Strive for High-quality Development", the event aims to help Hong Kong and Macao youths who are developing their careers in Guangdong to engage in exchanges and gain further understanding of the industry development of Guangdong Province through visits, research and discussions. This will enable them to deepen their knowledge of new productivity, thereby facilitating their active integration into the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Speaking at the ceremony, Miss Mak said that young people are an important driving force for the country's high-quality development. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government aims to provide more comprehensive support for Hong Kong youths through new rounds of the Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the GBA and the Funding Scheme for Experiential Programmes at Innovation and Entrepreneurial Bases, helping them pursue innovation and entrepreneurship in the GBA.

Miss Mak said that the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) jointly established the Alliance of Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurial Bases in the Greater Bay Area with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province and the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province last year, gathering around 60 member organisations. Around 100 activities have been planned or held in Hong Kong and Guangdong by member organisations of the Alliance, which demonstrated the Alliance's full support in helping Hong Kong youths to start their businesses in the GBA and enhancing their confidence in developing their careers in the GBA.

The event is organised by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, the executive committee of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperate Zone in Hengqin, the HYAB of the HKSAR Government and the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

Miss Mak finished the visit and returned to Hong Kong on the same day.

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs attends kick-off ceremony of entrepreneurship event for Hong Kong and Macao youths in Hengqin, Zhuhai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs attends kick-off ceremony of entrepreneurship event for Hong Kong and Macao youths in Hengqin, Zhuhai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs attends kick-off ceremony of entrepreneurship event for Hong Kong and Macao youths in Hengqin, Zhuhai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs attends kick-off ceremony of entrepreneurship event for Hong Kong and Macao youths in Hengqin, Zhuhai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CFS steps up surveillance of lead content in powdered infant and follow-up formula

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (July 29) that the CFS continues to actively follow up on a case announced earlier by the Macao authority, concerning a batch of powdered infant formula found with lead exceeding its permissible levels.

A spokesman for the CFS said, "Upon learning of the incident earlier, the CFS immediately stepped up the surveillance of powdered infant and follow-up formula. Over the past four days (from July 25 to July 28), the CFS collected over 50 samples of powdered infant and follow-up formula products in the market for lead content testing, including 11 batches of Frisolac Prestige Stage 1 Infant Formula (800g) (see Annex for details). No case exceeding Hong Kong's statutory standard was found, i.e. lead content not exceeding 0.01 milligram per kilogram."

The spokesperson added that the CFS will continue to collect powdered infant and follow-up formula samples in the market for testing, and will closely monitor the development of the incident to fully safeguard food safety.

The spokesperson supplemented that long term excessive exposure to lead in children can lead to neurological impairment and affect brain development. Regarding the individual batch previously recalled (Product name: Frisolac Prestige Stage 1 Infant Formula (800g); Best-before date: September 30, 2027; Batch number: 1W07KPJ), the CFS has deployed officers to inspect various retail outlets to ensure that the affected batch of the product has been removed from shelves to safeguard food safety.

The CFS urged again members of the public not to let infants and young children consume the affected batch of product, and to seek medical treatment if infants or young children who feel unwell after consuming the product concerned. Apart from contacting the Macao authority and informing the trade and relevant departments, the CFS took the initiative earlier to meet with the importer concerned, urging them to properly handle the product recall issue. The importer concerned is currently recalling the affected batch of powdered infant formula. Members of the public can call the importer's hotline at 2280 4731 during office hours for enquiries about the recall. The trade should also immediately stop using or selling the affected batch of products.

The CFS has been collecting powdered infant and follow-up formula samples from local retail outlets for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme to safeguard the food safety of infants and young children. From 2023 to July 2026, the CFS has collected over 2 200 powdered infant and follow-up formula samples from the market for chemical and microbiological testing, including lead content tests. No unsatisfactory samples for lead content were found.

The CFS has established a designated webpage (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/powdered_formula_lead/index.html) to facilitate public access to more information.

CFS steps up surveillance of lead content in powdered infant and follow-up formula Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CFS steps up surveillance of lead content in powdered infant and follow-up formula Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases