Summer Library Festival 2025 to explore local cultural stories with readers
The Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will launch the Summer Library Festival (SLF) 2025 under the theme "Summer Footprints - Stories of Local Culture" in July and August. The HKPL will offer a diverse range of on-site and online programmes to deepen the public's understanding of the life and traditional culture of the city, and raise their interest in reading.
A series of interesting parent-child workshops will be held at public libraries in various districts, where parents and children can learn more about the life and culture of Hong Kong, such as the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, street food and the love for giant pandas through making handicrafts together such as small ornaments, clay keychains and origami. Young readers can participate in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) workshops with their parents to make mini neon signs and distinctive music boxes, while learning about the science behind them. For teenaged and adult readers, they can participate in the Landscape Painting with Hong Kong Characteristics workshops to learn about drawing and painting Hong Kong's beautiful scenery with coffee and pencils, or the Transportation 3D Origami workshops to make paper crafts of Hong Kong's public transport icons.
Storytelling workshops with the theme of traditional festivals will also be held at public libraries in various districts. Children will learn about the significance of traditional festivals and make related handicrafts in the workshops to cultivate their interest in reading. The storytelling workshops will be conducted in Cantonese, Putonghua or English.
The HKPL will launch an online programme with the theme "From the Dining Table to the Writing Desk". In the four-episode series, Professor Tam Ka-chai and Dr Tsang Cheuk-yin will guide readers to learn more about the history and cultural meanings in Hong Kong's food culture and recommend related books. The programme videos will be uploaded onto the HKPL YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/hkplgovhkchannel), the LCSD Edutainment Channel (www.lcsd.gov.hk/edutainment/en) and the programme website of SLF 2025 (www.hkpl.gov.hk/slf-en) in phases.
Public libraries in Kwai Tsing District, Southern District and Sham Shui Po District will also organise various activities including exhibitions on the history of Hong Kong in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and intangible cultural heritage, different handicraft as well as traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy workshops, large-scale calligraphy performances featuring the history and culture of the Qin and Han dynasties, and more.
All activities are free of charge. Seat reservations are required for some of the programmes. For details, please visit the SLF 2025 website. Members of the public can also visit the "Reading is Joyful" Facebook page (www.facebook.com/readingisjoyful) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/readingisjoyful) for more information on different events of the HKPL.
Some of the SLF 2025 programmes are under the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. For more information, please visit www.ccpo.gov.hk.
Summer Library Festival 2025 to explore local cultural stories with readers Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Summer Library Festival 2025 to explore local cultural stories with readers Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Summer Library Festival 2025 to explore local cultural stories with readers Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
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
