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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) arrested the licensee of a fresh provision shop in Kwai Chung last Saturday night (September 10) for allegedly breaching the ban on keeping live poultry at retail outlets overnight under the Food Business Regulation.
In an operation mounted shortly after 8pm that day, FEHD officers seized a total of 32 live chickens in a licensed fresh provision shop in Shek Lei Shopping Centre, Shek Lei (I) Estate.
During the operation, a 51-year-old man was arrested and subsequently charged with breaching the Food Business Regulation. The case will be heard at Tsuen Wan Magistrates' Courts on October 11.
Under the Regulation, operators of live poultry market stalls and fresh provisions shops should slaughter all live poultry remaining at their premises before 8pm each day and no live poultry should be kept up to 5am the next day. Offenders will be liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment.
"We will continue to take stringent enforcement action against overnight stocking of live poultry at retail premises to reduce the risk of human infection by avian influenza viruses," an FEHD spokesman said.
Ends/Monday, September 12, 2011
Issued at HKT 18:55
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