The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) held the Veterinary Public Health (VPH) Workshop on 3 March 2025, titled “Veterinary Public Health — Strategies and Challenges”.  Seven guest speakers from academia, international organization and government officials from the Chinese Mainland, Australia, France and Hong Kong were invited by CFS to share their expertise and insights at the event with participants from Hong Kong and across the region. More than 200 participants attended the workshop and the event fostered valuable discussions and collaborations among participants. 

First held in 2002, the VPH Workshop has been an event whereby speakers ranging from academics and government officials from all over the world being invited to Hong Kong. The workshop provides training on food safety from the veterinary public health perspective and on other related issues of significant public health such as the monitoring and surveillance of emerging disease. Besides local CFS staff, officials from Chinese Mainland and other regions were also invited to join the workshop. At the workshop, local and international experts, regulatory authorities etc. were invited to share their experience and knowledge on enhancing capacity and preparedness in dealing with foodborne hazards, especially those arising from sources/ outbreaks of diseases of concern and foods of animal origin.

Date: 3rd March 2025 (Monday)
Time: 9:30 am to 5:20 pm   
Theme: Veterinary Public Health - Strategies and Challenges  
Venue: Lecture Hall, Hong Kong Science Museum, 2 Science Museum Road, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong [ Map ] 

Continual Education Accreditation

CME/CPD Points Awarded
College / Programme 3rd March 2025
Continuing Medical Education (CME) 5.5
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) 5

Guest Speakers

Guest Speakers Topics

Prof. Dirk PFEIFFER

Chow Tak Fung Chair Professor of One Health,
Director of the Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice (OHRP),
Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences,

City University of Hong Kong		 The Role of Veterinary Public Health in an Increasingly Complex World

Mr. Matthew MOORE

Director (Electronic Certification),
Exports Standards Branch,
Exports and Veterinary Services Division,
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry,

Australia		 Experience sharing on the development of electronic certification system for imports and exports in Australia

Prof. LIU Hong

Professor,
Animal and Plant Inspection and Quarantine Technical Center,

Shenzhen Customs District

Overview of the Technical System for Detecting and Monitoring Animal Diseases in Food Animals at Import and Export levels in China contamination in shellfish

Prof. Vengatesen THIYAGARAJAN

Professor,
School of Biological Sciences,
Faculty of Science,

The University of Hong Kong		 Modern farming techniques in reduction of foodborne diseases related to oyster consumption: A Global Perspective

Dr. TSANG Yin Chau, Benedict

Senior Veterinary Officer (Veterinary Public Health),
Veterinary Public Health Section,
Centre for Food Safety,

Food and Environmental Hygiene Department		 Veterinary public health and food safety

Mr. BRETTELL Dak Fai, Dominic Lucien

Fisheries Officer,
Inland Culture Development Section,
Fisheries and Marine Conservation Branch,

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department		 Accredited Fish Farm Scheme (AFFS): Quality Assurance of Local Fish Products

Dr. Gounalan PAVADE

PhD (Veterinary Pathology),
Senior Scientific Coordinator (Avian influenza),
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH),

Science Department		 Role and function of OFFLU network (the OIE/FAO joint network of expertise on avian influenza) for preparedness and response to zoonotic animal influenza

Programme

Workshop Poster

Photo Gallery

The Controller of the Centre for Food Safety, Dr Christine Wong, gave an opening address for the Seminar


Prof. PFEIFFER of City University of Hong Kong gave the presentation


Prof. Hong of Shenzhen Customs shared experiences with guest in Q&A session


CFS officials together with the speakers took a group photo