Hong Kong's Housing Secretary Visits Barcelona to Discuss Innovative Construction and Housing Solutions

2025-07-05 15:05 Last Updated At：16:48

S for Housing visits Barcelona

The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, commenced her visit to Barcelona, Spain, yesterday (July 4, Barcelona time).

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S for Housing visits Barcelona Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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S for Housing visits Barcelona Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In the morning, Ms Ho met with Deputy Mayor of Barcelona Mr Jordi Valls Riera, who oversees housing policies, economic affairs and tourism matters. They exchanged views on areas such as housing policies and construction technologies. Ms Ho shared Hong Kong's experience in expeditiously building government-led Light Public Housing (LPH) using Modular Integrated Construction (MiC). For instance, the first LPH project at Yau Pok Road, Yuen Long, took only about one year to complete. As for the Choi Hing Road project in Ngau Tau Kok, which is the first 19-storey LPH project with elevators, its first phase was completed in less than one and a half years, breaking the record for rapid construction of high-rise buildings in Hong Kong. She also shared that the Housing Bureau (HB) and the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) have been continuously optimising Hong Kong's housing ladder to encourage more young people and families to move up the housing ladder. She mentioned that the HB will organise an international symposium to be held in Hong Kong in November this year, to showcase to the world the latest developments of construction technologies in Mainland China and Hong Kong. She expressed hope that friends from around the world could attend the symposium.

Afterwards, Ms Ho visited a social housing project, Modulus Matrix: 85 Social Housing, which used timber frame construction to reduce carbon emissions and a modular design to shorten construction time.

In the afternoon, Ms Ho toured a social housing project, APROP-Glòries, which was converted from containers to provide temporary accommodation to people in need. Ms Ho said that both the Hong Kong and Barcelona governments are dedicated to increasing their housing supply with swift and pragmatic approaches, and providing accommodation to families with urgent housing needs. She said she hoped that the two places would continue holding close exchanges on relevant initiatives.

Ms Ho then paid a courtesy call on the Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Barcelona, Ms Meng Yuhong, to share with her various housing initiatives being implemented by the HB, which include promoting the development of housing construction technologies by leveraging the strengths of the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Ms Ho today (July 5, Barcelona time) visited another social housing project, 72 Social Housing Units, to see its architectural design that creates a simple, livable and energy-efficient living environment.

Concluding the trip, Ms Ho said, "Hong Kong enjoys the unique advantage of having the strong support of the motherland while maintaining unparalleled connectivity with the world, as well as the strategic geographical location of being connected to the GBA. This visit demonstrated how Hong Kong gives full play to its important roles as a 'super connector' and 'super value-adder'. I look forward to maintaining close exchanges with Portugal and Spain in areas including innovative construction technologies, people-oriented 'Well-being design' concepts and sustainable smart city development, and exploring further collaboration to create more opportunities for the industries and enterprises of the three places."

Ms Ho will return to Hong Kong tomorrow morning (July 6).

Nestlé Hong Kong Recalls Additional Infant Formula Over Bacillus Cereus Contamination Concerns

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 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.

Hong Kong's Housing Secretary Visits Barcelona to Discuss Innovative Construction and Housing Solutions

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