Appointments to Board of Financial Services Development Council announced
The Government announced today (January 14) that the Chief Executive had appointed Mr Benjamin Hung Pi-cheng as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC), and reappointed three incumbent Vice-Chairmen, Ms Ding Chen, Mr Daniel R Fung, SC and Mr Andrew Walter Bougourd Ross Weir.
The Chief Executive has also appointed four new members, Mr Edward Au Chun-hing, Ms Aveline San Pau-len, Mr Tony Tang Xiaodong and Ms Daisy Yeung, as well as reappointed four incumbent members, Dr Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, Mr Damien Allen Green, Mr Jeremy Dinshaw Lam and Ms Amy Lo Choi-wan. All appointments are effective from January 17, 2025, for a term of two years.
The Secretary for the Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, "Through conducting policy research, promoting market development and nurturing talent, the FSDC has made most valuable contributions to Hong Kong's financial services industry. Mr Hung is a seasoned banker with extensive experience and profound knowledge in international finance. Over the years, he has been serving the community and taken on various public positions. We are confident that, under Mr Hung's leadership and with four industry leaders joining as new members, the FSDC will continue to develop and strengthen its connections with global stakeholders, thus reinforcing Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre."
Mr Hui added, "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the outgoing Chairman, Mr Laurence Li Lu-jen, SC. Mr Li's sterling leadership has enabled the FSDC to attain remarkable achievements in effectively delivering its missions and promoting the further development of Hong Kong's financial services industry over the past six years." He also expressed gratitude to the four outgoing members, Ms Diana Cesar, Ms Lena Chan, Mr Brian Li Man-bun and Dr Lin Yong, for their contributions to the FSDC during their tenure.
The FSDC was established in 2013 by the Government as a high-level advisory body to engage the industry in formulating proposals to promote the further development of Hong Kong's financial services industry and to map out strategic directions for development.
The membership list of the FSDC Board of Directors with effect from January 17, 2025, is as follows:
Chairman
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Mr Benjamin Hung Pi-cheng*
Vice-Chairmen
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Ms Ding Chen
Mr Daniel R Fung, SC
Mr Andrew Walter Bougourd Ross Weir
Members
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Mr Edward Au Chun-hing*
Mr Ronald Chan Wai-yan
Mr Ben Chan Wei-beng
Dr Adrian Cheng Chi-kong
Mr Damien Allen Green
Mr Jeremy Dinshaw Lam
Ms Luanne Lim Hui-hung
Ms Amy Lo Choi-wan
Ms Aveline San Pau-len*
Ms Jennifer Tan Yuen-chun
Mr Tony Tang Xiaodong*
Ms Daisy Yeung*
Dr Au King-lun (in the capacity as Executive Director of the FSDC)
Ex-officio member
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Mr Christopher Hui (in the capacity as Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury)
* New appointees
CFS to follow up certain batches of powdered infant and young children formula with possible presence of Cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (January 10) said that, it took initiative to meet with Nestlé Hong Kong again today, and confirmed the company's today announcement of an additional batch of powdered infant and young children formula suspected to have possibly used the raw material concerned. Nestlé Hong Kong has voluntarily stopped sales, removed from shelves the affected products and has initiated a precautionary recall. The CFS has collected samples of powdered infant and young children formula from the market for Bacillus cereus testing, the test results so far were satisfactory. The Environmental and Ecology Bureau is also closely monitoring the supply situation of other formula milk powder and maintaining communication with other major suppliers. It is noted that there is sufficient formula milk powder to meet the demand.
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), Photo source: reference image
The spokesman said, the CFS has been actively following up on Nestlé company's voluntary and precautionary recalls of certain batches of its powdered infant and young children formula in certain areas in Europe due to possible presence of Cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus in the individual raw material. According to the latest information from Nestlé Hong Kong today, an additional batch of its powdered infant and young children formula imported into Hong Kong might have used the raw material concerned. The CFS had earlier enhanced surveillance in the market and collected a sample from the above batch for testing of Bacillus cereus. The test result of the sample was satisfactory. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, Nestlé Hong Kong has voluntarily stopped sales, removed from shelves the affected products and has initiated a precautionary recall.
Product details are as follows:
Product name (Net weight): NAN PRO 1 2 HMO (800g)
Batch number: 51670742F2
Best-before date: June 16, 2027
Place of Origin: Germany
"The CFS met Nestlé Hong Kong again today, urging them to properly handle the product recall issue and respond to public enquiries, in order to safeguard consumers' legitimate rights and interests. In addition, the CFS and Nestlé Hong Kong have jointly followed up, six suspected affected batches of infant and young children formula products that had not entered the market were marked and sealed. An additional 15 batches are currently en route to Hong Kong and will also be marked and sealed upon arrival. The CFS will continue to closely monitor the recall matters and remain fully committed to ensuring food safety, " the spokesman said.
Nestlé Hong Kong has initiated a recall of the affected batches of the products concerned. For enquiries about the recall, members of the public may contact the company through the following channels:
Consumer services hotline: 2599 8874 / 2797 6031/ 2179 8136 (Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm)
Email: consumerservices@hk.nestle.com
WhatsApp: 5283 4139 (NESTLÉ® NAN®) / 2599 8871 (Wyeth® Nutrition)
Online form: forms.office.com/e/BhqMhWfsUG?origin=lprLink
Consumers may choose to bring along the products (brand new or opened) for refund at place of purchase, or at exclusive service counters of Nestlé Nutrition Services from January 13 (Tuesday) onwards, to settle the recall and refund of the batches of the products concerned. Details of the exclusive service counters are as follows:
Kowloon Services Counter
Address: G/F, Park Hovan Commercial Building, 18 Hillwood Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon (MTR Jordon Station Exit D)
Contact number: 3996 8196
Office hour: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7.30pm; Sunday, 1pm to 5.30pm (except public holidays)
Hong Kong Services Counter
Address: 1/F, Ka Nin Wah Commercial Building, 423-425 Hennessy Road, Hong Kong (MTR Causeway Bay Station Exit B)
Contact number: 3996 8197
Office hour: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7.30pm (except Sundays and public holidays)
The CFS, through its Food Incident Surveillance System, noted earlier that certain batches of Nestlé powdered infant formula were being voluntarily recalled in Europe due to possible contamination with Bacillus cereus. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS has immediately initiated follow up actions, published food incident posts to inform the public and the trade about the issue, and has been actively following up on the incident and enhanced surveillance.
Over the past three days (as of 4pm on January 9), the FEHD received a total of 18 food complaints and enquiries suspected to be related to the infant and young children formula products, including one anonymous complaint without contact information. The CFS and the Environmental Hygiene Branch have promptly followed up on all cases, including contacting the parties concerned to obtain details and collecting samples for testing. In addition, the CFS has referred the cases to the health department for follow-up. At present, no food poisoning cases related to the formula have been recorded.
Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment. Unhygienic conditions in food processing and storage may give rise to its growth. Cereulide is a heat-stable toxin produced in food by some strains of Bacillus cereus. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus or its heat-stable toxins may cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea.
The spokesman urged members of the public not to let infants and young children consume the affected batches of the products, and to seek medical treatment for infants or young children who felt unwell after taking the products concerned. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batches of the products immediately.
"The CFS continues to closely monitor the developments of the situation, follow up and take appropriate action," the spokesman said.
The infant formula of Nestlé, Photo source: online image
