Elderly Empowerment Celebrated at 2025 Opportunities for the Elderly Project Award Ceremony

2025 OEP Award Presentation Ceremony held today to welcome National Games with elderly

​The Social Welfare Department (SWD) today (November 5) held the 2025 Award Presentation Ceremony of the Opportunities for the Elderly Project (OEP). The theme of the event was "Ignite the Fire of Life, Thrive in Fulfilling Ageing.", aiming to inspire the elderly in maintaining physical health and to echo the positive energy emanated from the 15th National Games. The event also featured a variety of games with sports elements and exciting performances, bringing joy to over 800 elderly persons across the territory and award-winning teams, as well as over 4 000 participants who joined the ceremony online.

Officiated by the Director of Social Welfare, Mr Edward To; the Chairman of the Elderly Commission, Dr Donald Li; and the Chairman of the OEP Advisory Committee, Mr Silas Poon, the ceremony presented six Special Awards for one-year projects in 2024-25, 11 District Best OEP Awards, and three Hong Kong Best OEP Awards to commend outstanding teams.

With the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games nearing on November 9, Mr To said that sports elements were added to the ceremony this year to encourage the elderly to live a vibrant and fulfilling life. He remarked in a brief review of the OEP that nearly 7 500 programmes have been subsidised since its inception in 1998-99, recording more than 4.45 million participants, among whom 2.64 million were elderly persons. Each and every one of them was a successful and inspiring story of active ageing.

In the ceremony, Dr Li emphasised that the life experience and wisdom of the elderly are actually valuable assets of society. He expressed his hope that elderly persons will stay active and continue to live fulfilling lives. Other than that, Dr Li encouraged the elderly to participate in workshops organised by the Elderly Academy Scheme or elderly centres where they can broaden their social networks and acquire knowledge of gerontechnology to keep pace with the times, thereby improving their physical and mental wellness.

The OEP encourages elderly persons to develop their potential, continue their contributions to society, and live the spirit of positive ageing through subsidising a diverse range of programmes organised by district organisations. Caritas Elderly Centre - Kwun Tong was awarded the Championship of the Hong Kong Best OEP Award for one-year projects. The project fully demonstrates intergenerational harmony and strengthens community cohesion by directly involving the elderly in organising community cultural tours, ranging from route and attraction planning to telling community members and students about the cultural stories of Kwun Tong. Photography, Teochew culture workshops and community visits were also organised with young people.

Starting from 2020, the first Thursday of November has been designated as OEP Day by the SWD, and this year marked the sixth edition. OEP Ambassadors, comprising elderly volunteers, will hold exercise sessions at District Elderly Community Centres and Neighbourhood Elderly Centres to show the energetic side of the elderly and promote the active spirit of OEP Day throughout the community tomorrow (November 6).

For details of the OEP and an archive of the ceremony, please visit the OEP Facebook page (www.facebook.com/OpportunitiesForTheElderlyProject/live).

2025 OEP Award Presentation Ceremony held today to welcome National Games with elderly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

2025 OEP Award Presentation Ceremony held today to welcome National Games with elderly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

2025 OEP Award Presentation Ceremony held today to welcome National Games with elderly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

2025 OEP Award Presentation Ceremony held today to welcome National Games with elderly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

2025 OEP Award Presentation Ceremony held today to welcome National Games with elderly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Beef and beef congee samples found to contain sulphur dioxide

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (June 6) that two beef samples collected from a licensed food factory in North District were found to contain sulphur dioxide, contravening the provisions on preservative of the Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap. 132BD) (the Regulation). The CFS is following up on the incident. The food factory concerned has suspended its business.

A spokesman for the CFS said, "Subsequent to the earlier announcement that a beef congee sample taken from a licensed general restaurant in Wah Kwai Estate, Aberdeen, was found to contain sulphur dioxide, a follow-up investigation by the CFS revealed that the beef concerned was suspected to be supplied by the licensed food factory mentioned above. The CFS has immediately taken follow-up action and collected beef samples from the relevant food factory for testing. The test results showed that the two beef samples contained sulphur dioxide at a level of 7 700 parts per million (ppm) and 8 300 ppm respectively."

"As instructed by the CFS, the concerned licensed general restaurant in Wah Kwai Estate, Aberdeen has earlier stopped the sale of the relevant beef congee. The CFS had collected another beef congee sample for follow-up investigation before the restaurant concerned stopped selling the relevant product, and the test result showed that the beef congee sample contained sulphur dioxide at a level of 540 ppm," the spokesman added.

The CFS has informed the food factory concerned of the irregularities and instructed it to stop the sale of the products concerned and discard relevant raw materials. During an inspection to the food factory concerned, stains were detected in several areas of the premises, and a gap at the door was found. Prosecution was then initiated to the relevant person; and a Notice of Elimination of Vermin was issued under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) Section 47(1), requiring the person-in-charge of the premises to adopt necessary procedures to remove any items causing rodent infestation within specified time frame, failing which prosecution will be instituted.

According to the Regulation, contravening relevant provisions on preservatives is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment.

Sulphur dioxide is a preservative which can be used in a variety of foods including dried vegetables, dried fruits, pickled vegetables and salted fish products, but under the Regulation it is not permitted in fresh or chilled meat. Individual meat traders have been found illegally using sulphur dioxide to make meat look fresher. Sulphur dioxide is water-soluble, and most of it can be removed through washing and cooking. However, susceptible individuals who are allergic to this preservative may experience breathing difficulties, headaches and nausea after consumption.

The CFS will continue to follow up on the incidents and take appropriate action. Prosecution will be instituted for the violation of the Regulation. The investigation is ongoing.

Source: AI-found images