FEHD strives to ensure food safety of school lunch boxes
To enhance food safety and hygiene awareness among licensed food factories supplying school lunch boxes, and to prepare for the new school year, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) and the Environmental Hygiene Branch of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) launched a series of operations to inspect licensed food factories supplying school lunch boxes in various districts of Hong Kong with a view to ensuring food safety.
A spokesman for the FEHD said today (August 15), "Starting from July 28, the FEHD has been inspecting food factories supplying school lunch boxes to ensure that the licensing conditions in respect of food handling and processing are observed by the operators, and that hygienic standards stipulated in the laws are met. Food samples will be collected for testing. Meanwhile, FEHD staff will also provide health education to operators and staff of food factories, distributing food safety pamphlets to remind them of the proper way of handling school lunch boxes."
The CFS hosted an online trade meeting on June 26 to remind lunch box suppliers to adhere to good hygiene practices when preparing food and establish a food safety plan based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system to lower the risks of food contamination. Lunch box caterers can make use of the guideline "Developing a School Food Safety Plan Based on HACCP system (for School Lunch Box Caterers)" to learn more about how to enhance the safety of lunch box production.
Furthermore, to ensure food safety on campuses, the CFS arranged an online seminar for schools on July 11, highlighting food safety hazards such as choking and food allergies, and emphasising the need for vigilance among teaching staff and food handlers in schools. At the same time, schools are also reminded to order lunch boxes from suppliers that hold a valid Food Factory Licence issued by the FEHD and are endorsed to provide lunch boxes. Before signing contracts with suppliers, schools should visit the premises to ensure that food handlers observe food safety and hygiene practices.
The CFS has published "A Practical Guide for Ensuring Food Safety in Schools and Childcare Facilities", to which schools and childcare facilities can refer when choosing lunchbox suppliers and ensuring food safety on campus. For further details, please visit the "Safe Food at School" thematic webpage (cfs.gov.hk/school).
FEHD strives to ensure food safety of school lunch boxes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD strives to ensure food safety of school lunch boxes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Housing Bureau and Development Bureau accept Independent Investigation Report submitted by Architectural Services Department regarding construction malpractices at three Light Public Housing sites and impose punitive measures on Contractor, Structural Engineer, and Project Management Consultant involved
The Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) submitted the independent investigation report on the construction malpractices at the three Light Public Housing (LPH) sites at Lok On Pai in Siu Lam, Yan Po Road in Tuen Mun, and Sheung On Street in Chai Wan to the Housing Bureau (HB) and the Development Bureau (DEVB) on November 5, 2025. Upon a thorough review, both bureaux today (January 16) accepted the findings of the report and imposed punitive measures on the Contractor, Structural Engineer, and Project Management Consultant (PMC) involved. The ArchSD has also been tasked to continue its strict supervision on the Contractor and PMC in taking forward the remedial works expeditiously, alongside the immediate implementation of the improvement measures as set out in the report.
In light of the investigation results, the DEVB served notices today, in accordance with the regulatory mechanisms, to the companies involved about the following punitive measures to be imposed on them:
(1) The Contractor, i.e. Able Engineering Company Limited (Able), which is responsible for the construction and associated quality assurance: suspension of its eligibility to tender under all relevant categories of the List of Approved Contractors for Public Works and the List of Approved Suppliers of Materials and Specialist Contractors for Public Works for one year. As for Chun Wo Construction and Engineering Company Limited that formed the joint venture with Able, since its major involvement in the projects is to provide strategic advice on construction planning and has neither been involved in the site works nor supervision, it is not subject to the punitive measures;
(2) The Structural Engineer employed by the Contractor, i.e. C M Wong & Associates Limited, which is responsible for providing and managing the resident structural engineer involved: suspension of its eligibility to tender under all relevant categories of the List of Consultants of the Architectural and Associated Consultants Selection Board (AACSB) for one year; and
(3) The PMC employed by the ArchSD, i.e. Wong Tung & Partners Limited, which is responsible for providing project management and managing the resident site supervisors involved: suspension of its eligibility to tender under all relevant categories of the List of Consultants of AACSB for six months. The six-month suspension period was set with due consideration that not all of the project sites under its management were discovered with deficiencies in supervision.
Since the commencement of LPH construction, the ArchSD has always enforced strict quality supervision and proactive inspections, together with reviews on the performance of contractors. The prompt uncovering of malpractices at the three LPH sites during the ArchSD's proactive inspections was a direct reflection of the effectiveness of the supervision mechanism.
The HB has tasked the ArchSD to continue its stern supervision of the Contractor to take forward the remedial works and the remaining construction works and to closely monitor construction quality and progress. Under the premise of adhering to the original completion dates, every effort shall be made to ensure that all projects comply with the relevant safety requirements. As directed by the ArchSD, the Contractor has implemented a host of remedial measures at full speed since early November last year, including shifting and reinstalling the modules involved, and will bear all costs related to the remedial measures.
Moreover, on the works contract level, the ArchSD requested that the Contractor implement a series of remedial measures and bear all the related costs of the remedial works. In addition, should the remedial measures result in any delay in the contract completion dates, the Contractor will be liable for liquidated damages. Moreover, the ArchSD has required the Contractor to replace all site supervision personnel, including site agents, works supervisors, and resident structural engineers. The ArchSD has also concurrently required the PMC to replace all its resident site supervisors. Meanwhile, the ArchSD has immediately strengthened its supervision by deploying full-time government site supervision staff to monitor the sites and has arranged for its structural engineers to conduct additional on-site spot checks and audits to ensure strict quality control for the projects.
Based on preliminary evidence, Able is suspected of serious negligence or misconduct in the construction works. The ArchSD will inform the Building Authority to refer the case to the Registered Contractors' Disciplinary Board under Section 13 of the Buildings Ordinance. As provided in the Ordinance, if, upon hearing, negligence or misconduct in construction works were found to have been committed, the Board may order the removal of Able or its directors, senior personnel, or individuals from the relevant lists, impose fines, or issue a reprimand on Able or its directors, senior personnel, or individuals.
As the investigation revealed that the incident may involve criminal acts of providing false statements, the ArchSD has already reported the case to the Police.
The Government will continue to follow up on the case in a serious manner and step up its site supervision efforts to ensure the overall construction quality, safety and progress are not affected, as well as to ensure each LPH project is completed with high quality and high safety standards, thereby providing decent homes for residents in need as soon as possible.
Source: AI-found images
