Food Safety Research
“How do they fool with our food?”
Introduction
While food safety issues in China repeatedly hit the headlines, the Hong Kong government claims pork contaminated with African Swine Fever safe to consume; several years ago, the government lifted pesticides regulations to make way for crops imported from China; in May this year, the government signed a framework agreement with the Chinese government for an integration of food safety standard with that of the Greater Bay Area. Do Hongkongers trust the so-called regional division of labour and food safety standardization with the Greater Bay Area?
As the food in Hong Kong became more expensive, its safety standards did not improve accordingly. Ninety percent of the food in Hong Kong are imported, the safety of which depends not only on the systems in the place of origin but quarantine and food testing. However, the public is largely uninformed of the food system processes including food production, transportation, testing, and sales. This means that the public could not identify food safety risks in advance.
From the publication of Hydroponics in Focus in 2015 to the African Swine Fever in 2019, Liber Research Community refocuses on the issue of food safety by digging into the food supply chain in Hong Kong – before our autonomy is put out of the frying pan into the fire.
Research Highlights:
- Defend the food safety standards in Hong Kong — analyze the processes and standards of food quarantine and food testing for imported food in Hong Kong, especially under the trend to integrate with the Greater Bay Area.
- Trace the origins of Hong Kong food supply — investigate the status quo, changes and risks in the food supply chains from China to Hong Kong in relation to the vested interest of the importers.
- Debunk the myth of regional division of labour — look into the importance of local agricultural production, land, and practitioners through analyzing their status quo, difficulties, and potentials in order to improve food autonomy.
- Stimulate the development of food safety policies in Hong Kong — push for a revamp of the long-outdated food safety standards in Hong Kong into one that corresponds to new trends; continue scrutinizing the implementation of food safety standards.