​The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has all along been committed to combating the sale of chilled or frozen meat disguised as fresh meat, and has raided licensed fresh provision shops (FPSs) in Sham Shui Po District suspected of selling chilled meat or frozen meat as fresh meat today (January 26).
During the operation, FEHD officers raided two licensed FPSs in Mei Foo Sun Chuen, marked and sealed over 660 kilograms of suspected chilled meat and frozen meat for further investigation. Pork samples were also collected for testing for preservatives. Prosecution will be taken out if sufficient evidence is collected. The licensees of the two FPSs are suspected of breaching the licensing condition for the display and sale of chilled meat or frozen meat as fresh meat, and the FEHD is proceeding on the cancellation of the FPSs' licences.
FEHD officers also initiated three prosecutions against the operators of the two FPSs for dirty food room, sale of frozen poultry without permission and failing to protect open food from risk of contamination. Verbal warnings were also given to the operators of the two FPSs for non-compliance of relevant licensing conditions for failing to provide delivery notes for inspection and failing to display the notice showing the approved type of meat for sale respectively.
An FEHD spokesman said, "Selling of chilled or frozen meat disguised as fresh meat breaches the licensing condition and causes food safety problems. Operation by these profiteers also poses unfairness to other shops that comply with the requirements."
"Anyone selling chilled meat or frozen meat without permission commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment on conviction. The department will continue to conduct regular inspections at FPSs and market meat stalls, and will actively handle the complaints received. In detecting any irregularities, the FEHD will carry out immediate investigations and take appropriate enforcement action. In addition, the FEHD also proactively investigates suspected violations from time to time and conducts surprise inspections and enforcement action as necessary. If there is sufficient evidence, prosecutions will be initiated and follow-up action will be taken on the breach of licensing conditions or tenancy agreements. The licences of fresh provision shops breaching the licensing conditions may be cancelled, while the tenancies of market meat stalls breaching the tenancy agreements may be terminated," the spokesman added.
The spokesman stressed that the FEHD is very concerned about and has been committed to combating the sale of chilled or frozen meat disguised as fresh meat by taking stringent enforcement action against the violations.
Follow this news feed: East Asia