CFS inspects fast food stalls at Chinese New Year fairs
The 2026 Chinese New Year (CNY) fairs are being held at 14 locations across the territory. The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has arranged for staff to inspect the fast food stalls at CNY fairs and distribute booklets to remind stall operators of food safety.
A spokesman for the CFS said today (February 14) that, to safeguard food safety and public health, CFS officers have provided health education on food safety and hygiene and distributed booklets to person-in-charge of fast food stalls at various CNY fairs, reminding them to pay more attention to food safety and environmental hygiene and take food safety measures in their operations for producing and supplying wholesome and safe food.
Moreover, the CFS has collected food samples, including mock sharks-fin soup, stinky tofu, curry fish ball and Shanghai style steamed pork dumpling, from the fast food stalls at CNY fairs for microbiological tests.
The CFS urges food business operators and food handlers to adopt the following measures to ensure food safety:
- order food ingredients from reliable suppliers;
- keep hands and utensils clean, and food handlers should wash or sanitise their hands thoroughly before preparing food;
- separate raw and cooked food, such as using separate knives and chopping boards to handle raw and cooked food;
- cook food thoroughly with the core temperature of all ingredients reaching 75 degrees Celsius or above for at least 30 seconds;
- keep food at safe temperatures that hot food should be kept at above 60 degrees C while cold food should be properly covered and neatly stored at 4 degrees C or below in the refrigerator; and
- avoid keeping food under room temperature for prolonged period, and follow the "two-hour/four-hour rule" in cases without temperature control, i.e. if cooked food is kept at room temperature for less than two hours, it can be refrigerated for later use or consumed within four-hour time limit; if cooked food has been kept at room temperature for more than two hours and less than four hours, it should be consumed within the four-hour time limit but cannot be refrigerated again. Cooked food that has been held at room temperature for more than four hours should be discarded.
Photo shows a CFS officer providing health education on food safety and hygiene and distributing booklets to remind fast food stall operators of food safety. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Photo shows a CFS officer providing health education on food safety and hygiene and distributing booklets to remind fast food stall operators of food safety. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Photo shows a CFS officer providing health education on food safety and hygiene and distributing booklets to remind fast food stall operators of food safety. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
