Man sentenced to total of four weeks' imprisonment for operating unlicensed food premises

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A man was sentenced to one week's imprisonment by the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts yesterday (January 21) for operating an unlicensed food premises. The man was sentenced to three weeks' imprisonment suspended for 18 months by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts for the same offence in early 2023. As he had committed the same offence on March 17, 2023, during his suspended sentence, the court sentenced him to the above imprisonment, running consecutively, making a total imprisonment term of four weeks.

A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said that the department detected an unlicensed food premises at the rear lane of Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok. From January to March 2023, the FEHD conducted a series of enforcement actions against the unlicensed food premises, issued two summonses and effected three arrests against the operator of the unlicensed food premises.

Under the Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X), any person who carries on any food business which involves the sale of meals for consumption on the premises must obtain a general restaurant licence or a light refreshment restaurant licence. Anyone operating an unlicensed food business commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

The spokesman stressed that the FEHD will continue to crack down on unlicensed food premises to safeguard food safety and public health. Operators are urged not to defy the law, while members of the public are urged to not patronise these premises.

Members of the public can report suspected unlicensed food premises by calling the FEHD hotline at 2868 0000.

Ends/Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Issued at HKT 19:15

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