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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (November 4) reminded all operators of live poultry retail outlets to strictly adhere to hygiene conditions stipulated in the licence/tenancy agreements especially in wake of the deep concern on Avian Influenza worldwide.
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An FEHD spokesman reiterated that stringent enforcement actions would be taken against any irregularities detected.
¡§The operator of a poultry stall in San Hui Market, Tuen Mun, was found yesterday not wearing rubber gloves in handling live chicken and had breached the hygiene conditions. A warning letter was issued to the operator for the same offence in late September.
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¡§The department took immediate action yesterday to issue a notice of intent for terminating the tenancy agreement,¡¨ the spokesman said.
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To safeguard public health, the spokesman said the FEHD had stepped up inspections by visiting poultry sections of public markets every two hours to see if the operators have strictly complied with the hygiene requirements.
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Since October 1, 2005, the department has issued 14 warning letters and 83 verbal warnings against irregularities found among poultry traders at public markets and fresh provision shops, including allowing customers to touch live poultry, no provision of acrylic panel to the poultry cages and failing to keep the stalls in a clean condition.
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The FEHD has recently issued letters to all market stall operators and fresh provision shop licensees selling live poultry, urging them to strictly observe the hygiene conditions.
Highlighting the conditions, the spokesman said, apart from wearing gloves, all operators and workers at the poultry outlets should wear aprons and rubber boots while at work. Moreover, operators and workers should not knowingly allow customers to touch live poultry, and have to notify the department once any sick or dead poultry is found.
Overstocking of live poultry on the premises is not allowed and the premises and poultry cages should be thoroughly cleansed everyday after business.
The spokesman warned that operators who fail to comply with the hygiene conditions will take the risk of their tenancy agreement/licence being terminated or cancelled.
Ends/Friday, November 4, 2005
Issued at HKT 19:20
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