Hong Kong Customs Inspects Hairy Crab Shops to Ensure Food Safety and Protect Consumer Rights

2026-10-15 17:00 Last Updated At：17:31

Hong Kong Customs conducts joint enforcement operations with FEHD regarding sale of hairy crabs

Hong Kong Customs and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) have been carrying out joint enforcement operations since October 12 to inspect hairy crab retail outlets in various districts, with the aim of protecting consumer rights and upholding food safety by ensuring hairy crabs on sale in the market comply with the relevant stipulations and requirements under the laws.

During the inspections, Customs officers and officers of the Centre for Food Safety and the Environmental Hygiene Branch of the FEHD monitored the sale of hairy crabs and also checked supporting documents for the place of origin and health certificates of the hairy crabs to ensure that the hairy crabs sold at retail shops are fit for human consumption and are in compliance with the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO), the Food Safety Ordinance, and the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance.

As of now, officers of the two departments have inspected 42 hairy crab retail shops, and no irregularity has been found. The relevant joint enforcement operations will continue.

Apart from carrying out inspections in the market, Customs officers also made use of the big-data analytics system to analyse and verify whether online shops selling hairy crabs had complied with the TDO, with a view to safeguarding the interests of consumers when making online purchases.

Customs attaches great importance to the protection of consumer rights and will take appropriate enforcement action once activities in violation of the TDO are detected in the market. The department also reminds traders not to apply a false trade description to goods or services, or to supply or offer to supply goods or services to which a false trade description is applied. Those who violate the TDO are liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

The FEHD reminds traders that according to the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, all food available for sale in Hong Kong, whether imported or locally produced, should be fit for human consumption. Also, any person who operates an unlicensed food business or sells restricted foods without permission is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months. Under the Food Safety Ordinance, any person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with the record-keeping requirement relating to movement of food commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for three months upon conviction.

Customs and the FEHD remind traders not to import or put on sale hairy crabs with an unknown origin. Consumers should make purchases at reputable shops with the Shell Fish (Hairy Crab) Permit or relevant written permission granted by the FEHD.

Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002)if they suspect that hairy crabs bought are of falsely claimed place of origin.

In addition, if members of the public suspect that there are operators selling hairy crabs without the relevant permits/permissions or that the hairy crabs are not accompanied by health certificates, they may file a report to the FEHD by calling the hotline at 2868 0000 or through email (enquiries@fehd.gov.hk).

CGAEH to Enhance Facilities, Services Temporarily Suspended from October 20 Until Early 2027

Enhancement works to commence in Central Government-Aided Emergency Hospital

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson announced today (October 15) that the Central Government-Aided Emergency Hospital (CGAEH) located in the Loop will undergo facilities enhancement works starting from October 20 (Tuesday), to provide patients with a better treatment environment. The works are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027. Services at the CGAEH will be temporarily suspended during the works and will resume upon the completion of the project.

The spokesperson said, "The CGAEH has been in operation for over three years since April 2023, and hospital facilities generally require maintenance works every two to three years. The HA will carry out enhancement works based on facility usage and service needs. The project covers replacing the ceiling insulation materials, reinforcing and repairing frequently used flooring, and conducting routine maintenance of air-conditioning systems to maintain the stable temperature and humidity control required for precision medical equipment. Supplementary water tanks will also be installed to enhance the resilience of the water supply system and maintain water supply during emergencies."

The project aims to improve the hospital's environment and relevant facilities, making them better suited to daily operational requirements, providing patients with a more comfortable environment for examination and treatment, supporting healthcare workers in delivering services, and enhancing the patient experience. The works are scheduled to take place during the autumn and winter seasons to avoid the rainy season as much as possible, thereby minimising the impact of heavy rain and other adverse weather conditions on the progress. This will facilitate the completion of the works as planned, allowing the CGAEH to resume services at the earliest possible time.

In view of the works, the CGAEH will make appropriate arrangements for patients to ensure continuity of care and follow-up services. Patients scheduled for diagnostic radiology services, including computed tomography scan, magnetic resonance imaging scan and ultrasound scan, will be arranged to receive follow-up services at hospitals within their respective clusters. The hospital will contact the patients concerned in due course regarding their new appointment dates and examination venues.

For patients who have booked sleep study services, urgent cases will be arranged to undergo testing at hospitals within their respective clusters, while the remaining non-urgent cases will be scheduled for testing after the CGAEH resumes services. Patients concerned will be notified of the relevant arrangements.

The CGAEH has also contacted patients with scheduled endoscopy and intravitreal injection appointments and made arrangements for their services.

The HA will issue push notifications through the mobile application HA Go to keep patients informed of the latest service updates. Patients may also check their latest appointment details via the "My Appointments" function on HA Go. For enquiries, patients may contact the CGAEH during office hours (see table below).

Service	Enquiry hotline (during office hours)
Diagnostic radiology (including computed tomography scan, magnetic resonance imaging scan and ultrasound scan)	2683 7132
Endoscopy	9759 1790/5640 0710
Intravitreal injection	3505 3316
Sleep study	9829 8460/5640 0716

(during office hours)

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Hong Kong Customs Inspects Hairy Crab Shops to Ensure Food Safety and Protect Consumer Rights

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