Government continues to follow up on incident regarding powdered infant formula found with lead possibly exceeding limit, with no cases of lead poisoning in infants or young children due to consumption of powdered infant formula identified so far
The Department of Health (DH) today (August 26) said that since receiving a notification in late July from the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department that the product Frisolac Prestige Stage 1 Infant Formula (batch number: 1W07KPJ) had been found by the Macao authority with lead possibly exceeding the permissible level in Macao, the DH has been actively following up on the health conditions of infants and young children who consumed the relevant batch of powdered infant formula. No cases of lead poisoning in infants or young children resulting from consumption of the affected powdered infant formula have been identified.
In response to the incident, the DH set up a telephone hotline (2125 1199) on July 26 to answer public enquiries relating to the health condition of infants and young children, as well as the switching of infant formulas. Cases were referred to the Hospital Authority (HA) for follow-up as and when necessary. As of noon today, the DH's hotline and Maternal and Child Health Centres have received 762 relevant enquiries. Based on individual circumstances, the DH provided advice on switching infant formulas, and referred 446 infants and young children to the HA for assessment and follow-ups. Among them, 237 have undergone clinical assessments. Results indicated that their overall health is good and that none have shown signs of lead poisoning. Regarding the cases not assessed, the main reasons were that parents decided not to proceed with further assessment and a small number of cases are still pending assessment.
According to the CFS, it has stepped up the surveillance of lead content in powdered infant and follow-up formula in the market. To date, no cases have been found to exceed Hong Kong's statutory standard for lead.
Given that the hotline set up by the DH specifically for this incident has received only a small number of enquiries in recent weeks, the hotline will cease operations at 6pm on August 28. If parents notice that their infants or young children are feeling unwell, or if parents have any concerns, they should seek advice from healthcare professionals as soon as possible. For information on health advice regarding the switch to alternative infant formula, the public may visit the DH's webpage for details.
Source: AI-found images
Northern Metropolis Financial Advisory Taskforce holds its second meeting
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Northern Metropolis Financial Advisory Taskforce (Taskforce), jointly established by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and The Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB), convened its second meeting today (August 26) to explore how the banking sector can facilitate the implementation of Northern Metropolis projects through diverse financing models.
At the meeting, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) presented the diversified development models adopted by the Government to expedite the development of the Northern Metropolis, including through establishing industry park companies to participate in the development and operation of industries (Note 1), as well as guiding market forces to accelerate project development through public-private partnerships (PPPs). The FSTB also noted that funding for Northern Metropolis-related public works projects secured from the Legislative Council Finance Committee has already exceeded HK$180 billion (Note 2), demonstrating the Government's firm commitment to the Northern Metropolis development. In addition, the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited gave an introduction to the development direction, strategies and models for the Industry Park as well as collaboration opportunities for the banking sector. Such information enables banks to prepare in advance for the provision of financing and other ancillary financial services to support the development of industry park projects.
Considering that many Northern Metropolis projects will adopt diverse PPP models, a dedicated Workstream on PPP Financing (Workstream) (Note 3)has been established under the Taskforce to promote the exchange of industry expertise in related areas. During the meeting, the Workstream presented PPP financing case studies from the Chinese Mainland and overseas, covering projects in areas including large-scale land disposal, education, transportation and infrastructure. The Workstream will draw on relevant experiences to examine different development models and risk mitigation measures that can enhance the bankability of the projects in the Northern Metropolis. It will also explore complementary arrangements to support PPP project financing, including developing financing templates for reference by banks, with the aim of expediting the provision of targeted financing solutions for Northern Metropolis-related projects.
Meeting participants included representatives from the HKMA, the HKAB, the Development Bureau, the FSTB, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited and 23 participating banks in the Taskforce (see Annex).
Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Northern Metropolis Financial Advisory Taskforce
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The Northern Metropolis Financial Advisory Taskforce was jointly established by the HKMA and the HKAB in April 2026 to strengthen the banking sector's communication and collaboration with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and other stakeholders and explore ways to actively support the Northern Metropolis development through financing. The Taskforce comprises representatives from the HKMA, the HKAB and 23 banks that possess experience in large-scale project financing. The Chinese Banking Association of Hong Kong and the Infrastructure Financing and Securitisation Unit of the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited participate as observers.
Note 1: The Government has injected funding of HK$10 billion into each of the three dedicated industry companies, namely Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited, Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited, and San Tin Technopole Company Limited.
Note 2:As at July 2026.
Note 3:The six member banks include Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, BNP Paribas, China Development Bank Hong Kong Branch, DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, and Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited.
The Northern Metropolis Financial Advisory Taskforce, jointly established by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Hong Kong Association of Banks, holds its second meeting today (August 26) to discuss different development projects in the Northern Metropolis and their financing needs. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
