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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) this morning (August 20) raided an unlicensed cold store that contained about 9,600 heads of chilled poultry with official health certificates at Ho Sheung Heung, North District. The FEHD seized 190 chilled chickens with expired "use by" dates and seven kilogrammes of suspected illegally imported chilled poultry offal.
In another operation last Thursday night (August 12), an unlicensed cold store that contained about 20 tonnes of chilled poultry with official health certificates at Tai Shu Ha Road West, Yuen Long, was raided. About 450 kilogrammes of suspected illegally imported chilled poultry offal were seized.
In each operation, a man was arrested and they are assisting investigations.
Under the Food Business Regulation, the maximum penalty for operating an unlicensed cold store is a fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment.
"We will continue to take stringent enforcement action against unlicensed food business to safeguard food safety and public health," an FEHD spokesman said.
"People should report such illegal activities through the 1823 Call Centre."
Ends/Friday, August 20, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:05
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