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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) reminded travellers not to bring into Hong Kong any meat, including poultry meat, without an official certificate, or they might face prosecution.
Officers from the CFS and Customs and Excise Department in a joint operation this morning (September 24) intercepted two men and a woman at Lo Wu Control Point, Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor Control Point and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point respectively, and seized about 12 kilogrammes of poultry meat, pork and beef without health certificates. The three are assisting investigations.
A CFS spokesman said that under the Imported Game, Meat and Poultry Regulations of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, it was an offence to bring any meat or poultry meat into Hong Kong without an official certificate. The maximum penalty is a $50,000 fine and six months' imprisonment.
To drive home the message, CFS officers distributed leaflets at the three control points on Saturday (September 22) and Sunday (September 23) to remind travellers not to bring into Hong Kong any meat and poultry meat without an official certificate.
From the start of August until now, CFS officers have seized about 1,300 kilogrammes of meat and poultry meat with no health certificates at the three control points, for which 16 travellers were prosecuted.
He said the CFS would continue to closely monitor the illegal importation of meat and poultry and take stringent enforcement action to safeguard food safety and public health.
"Anyone who has suspicion about illegal meat and poultry meat importation activities should call the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department's hotline at 2868 0000," he said.
Ends/Monday, September 24, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:51
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