LCQ15: Measures to control the emission of oily fumes and odours from restaurants
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Question:
Some members of the public have relayed that the emission of oily fumes and cooking odours from restaurants affects the respiratory health of residents in the topside properties. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) given that under the existing Air Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap. 311) (the Ordinance), it is necessary for the owners or operators of restaurants and food businesses to take appropriate measures to ensure that no visible cooking fumes nor objectionable odours would be emitted causing air pollution, whether the authorities have instituted prosecutions against restaurants for contravening the aforesaid requirements over the past three years; if so, of the details and the number of successful prosecutions;
(2) given that under the Ordinance, appropriate air pollution control equipment has to be installed at food premises for treating oily fumes before being discharged to the outdoor environment, whether the authorities have conducted regular surprise inspections to check if food premises have installed equipment that conforms to the specification requirements and the relevant facilities are in operation during business hours; if so, of the number of inspections conducted over the past three years;
(3) of the detailed procedures followed by the authorities in handling complaints received about the emission of oily fumes or odours from restaurants over the past three years (including how they assessed if objectionable odours had been emitted from the restaurants); the numbers of cases in which the Environmental Protection Department has issued an air pollution abatement notice to restaurants over the past three years, with a breakdown by the 18 districts across the territory;
(4) whether the authorities will consider further specifying standards for objectionable odours (e.g. by specifying the maximum concentrations of relevant chemical components in the odours) to facilitate enforcement; if so, of the timetable for formulating such standards; and
(5) whether the Government has conducted long-term tracking surveys on the impact of oily fumes from restaurants on the respiratory systems of nearby residents; if so, of the details?
Reply:
President,
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) adopts a multi-pronged strategy encompassing prevention, collaboration, enforcement, as well as publicity and education to actively implement various measures with a view to preventing air pollution arising from cooking fumes and odours discharged from food premises. In terms of prevention and control, the EPD, in accordance with the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap. 311), requires operators of food premises to take appropriate measures to ensure that the operation of their premises does not cause air pollution. In addition, licensed food premises are also required to comply with the licensing conditions relating to air pollution control equipment. My response to the question raised by the Hon Chan Hok-fung is as follows:
(1) If a food premises discharges visible cooking fumes and offensive odours due to the absence of appropriate air pollution control equipment or improper operation, thereby causing an air pollution nuisance, the EPD may, in accordance with the Ordinance, issue a statutory notice to the food premises concerned requiring it to take appropriate remedial measures within a specified period to abate the cooking fumes, such as installing high-efficiency pollution control facilities like electrostatic precipitators. Failure to comply with the requirements of the statutory notice constitutes an offence. On first conviction, the offender is liable to a fine of $100,000. On a second or subsequent conviction, the offender is liable to a fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for six months. In the past three years (i.e. 2023, 2024 and 2025), the EPD initiated prosecution in 22, 13 and 12 cases respectively for failure to comply with the requirements of such statutory notices. Apart from one case which was withdrawn due to the closure of the food premises concerned, all cases resulted in successful prosecution, with an average fine of about $15,000.
(2) and (3) Upon receiving complaints about cooking fumes or odours from food premises, the EPD will deploy staff to conduct investigations. This includes entering the kitchen to inspect the operation of air pollution control equipment and carrying out odour assessments at the affected locations to determine whether the emissions constitute an air pollution nuisance. The EPD will also initiate investigations proactively. For instance, if excessive cooking fume emissions are found during routine inspections, the EPD will issue a warning to the operator. If the situation does not improve, further enforcement action will be taken in accordance with the law.
Cooking fume problems from food premises are mostly attributable to improper operation of air pollution control equipment (such as failure to switch on the equipment) and inadequate maintenance. Operators generally rectify the situation after receiving a warning from the EPD. Statutory notices are mainly issued in cases that require more substantial remedial work, such as the installation of air pollution control equipment due to inadequate design. The number of inspections of restaurants conducted by the EPD and the number of statutory notices issued from 2023 to 2025 are set out in Tables 1 and 2 respectively.
In addition, the EPD collaborates with relevant departments to organise regular seminars to promote the installation of high-efficiency cooking fume emission control equipment and good practices. The EPD has also launched the Green Restaurant website to provide practical guidelines to assist the trade in reducing cooking fume emissions.
(4) The EPD's method for assessing cooking fume emissions and odours is similar to the odour assessment methods and standards adopted in other regions and cities internationally. It is based on on-site environmental assessments conducted by enforcement officers, taking into account factors such as the relative location of the emission source and the affected area, the timing, duration and frequency of the emissions, whether the odour is offensive, the presence of visible cooking fumes, and whether the emissions cause discomfort to the eyes, nose, skin or other senses. We will consider these factors comprehensively to determine whether the emissions constitute an air pollution nuisance. The EPD will continue to monitor the odour assessment methods and application of new technologies in the Chinese Mainland and overseas cities with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of its assessment work on cooking fume emissions.
(5) Cooking fume emission control equipment currently available in the market is generally effective in removing cooking fumes and eliminating nuisance to nearby residents, provided that the equipment is regularly cleaned and properly maintained. The EPD will continue to conduct routine inspections of restaurants and carry out surprise checks in response to complaints to ensure that such equipment is properly operated and maintained. The EPD adopts a multi-pronged strategy of prevention, collaboration, enforcement, as well as publicity and education to actively prevent cooking fume emissions from food premises. The EPD has not conducted any tracking studies on the impact of cooking fume emissions from restaurants on residents' respiratory systems.
Ends/Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:58
Issued at HKT 11:58
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