FEHD continues to combat unlicensed hawkers selling food from unknown sources
A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (December 23) that since August 2024, the department has carried out a series of blitz operations across the territory targeting hawkers selling food from unknown sources, expired food or restricted food. A total of 41 persons have been arrested to date with totally 95 prosecutions undertaken.
The spokesman said that about 350 kilograms of food items, including sushi, bread, cakes, canned food, bottled soybean milk, packaged milk, fish and meat, were seized during the operations. The unlicensed hawkers concerned were charged with illegal hawking, causing obstruction in public places, selling restricted food without permission or selling expired food. So far, 81 relevant cases have been adjudicated, with all defendants convicted and fined by the court. Among them, two unlicensed hawkers were each fined $5,000.
In general, FEHD staff will deal with elderly or disabled hawkers in a more lenient manner. However, the FEHD spokesman stressed that if the sale of food from unknown sources or expired food is involved, due to food safety considerations, FEHD staff will take stringent enforcement actions, including immediate arrests without prior warning. Enforcement actions by the FEHD will continue. No one should defy the law.
The spokesman also reminded members of the public that consuming food from unknown sources and expired food, particularly high-risk food such as meat, sashimi and sushi, may pose serious food safety risks. Members of the public should refrain from patronising illegal hawkers when purchasing any food. The public may report hawkers selling suspicious food to the FEHD. Immediate follow-up actions will be taken.
According to the relevant ordinances, unlicensed hawking is subject to a maximum fine of $10,000 and six months' imprisonment. If unlicensed hawking activities also cause obstruction of passageways, offenders may be fined $25,000 or imprisoned for three months. In addition, any person who sells restricted food (including frozen meat, sashimi and sushi) without permission or sells expired food commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment upon conviction.
The FEHD reaffirmed its commitment to relentlessly curbing unlicensed hawking activities, particularly when it involves food sales, and called on the public to work together to safeguard food safety and environmental hygiene.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD)
Remarks by STL at media session
Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, at a media session today (December 23) with the Commissioner for Transport, Ms Angela Lee, after visiting the Lantau Charging Station cum Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles Information Centre:
Reporter: You mentioned that the Christmas and New Year period is around the corner. We just want to know that do you have any specific plans to offer those high-spending or overnight tourists to stay in Hong Kong and spend their holiday here? In the long term, how do you envision this transport scheme as a booster for Hong Kong's tourism and economy?
Secretary for Transport and Logistics: Today is the formal launch of the Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles (Entry into Urban Area). It is a policy breakthrough, which involves close collaboration between the Guangdong and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region authorities. It involves close partnership of system integration as well as procedural integration. We are very pleased and delighted to welcome the first batch of such kind of vehicles from Guangdong. We can visualise them passing through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which is a world-class transport infrastructure. A few of the visitors coming to Hong Kong today told me that they enjoy driving their own cars through this piece of important transport infrastructure. We expect such kind of visitors to stay overnight in Hong Kong, shopping, eating, having business meetings as well as visiting various theme parks. I know that some of them have already booked hotels in Hong Kong, and we are very encouraged by the positive response from various industry stakeholders, including CLPe, which provides charging facilities for southbound-travel Guangdong vehicles.
We are also encouraged to see that the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners has enlisted the support of more than 20 hotels to participate in this scheme, in which concessionary packages are offered to these visitors. I look forward to an even more positive response from various industry stakeholders. Christmas and New Year are coming around, and we will soon be celebrating the Chinese New Year in February next year. We will gather all the important information about the celebratory activities, as well as business conferences, sports and cultural events, and concerts. Such information is to be included on the Transport Department's dedicated webpage to provide one-stop shop information. We have also contacted platforms like Amap or Baidu, which will provide all the essential information in their apps, so that when Guangdong visitors switch on their apps, they can easily get information about the road conditions and essential transport facilities in Hong Kong. Thank you.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
Ms Mable Chan, the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Photo source: FB of Transport and Logistics Bureau
The Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles, Photo source: news.gov.hk
