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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) warned today (June 12) that it was an offence to possess meat containing prohibited substances for sale.
This follows two convictions against a goods vehicle driver today by the Fanling Magistrates' Courts for delivery for sale of meat that was clenbuterol-tainted.
The goods vehicle was intercepted by Customs and Excise officers at Shek Chung Au Check Point in Sha Tau Kok on January 25 and March 21 respectively, and a total of 6,635 kilogrammes of pork were found.
FEHD officers were subsequently called in to investigate. Samples of pork were then taken for tests and clenbuterol residues were found.
The driver was charged on each of the two occasions.
He was today sentenced to a four-week and a two-month imprisonment for the respective offences, to run consecutively.
A department spokesman warned that possession of clenbuterol- tainted meat for sale was a breach of the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations. The maximum penalty is $50,000 and six months' imprisonment.
"Members of the public should call the department's hotline at 2868 0000 if they have doubts about the origin of meat sold at retail outlets."
Ends/Monday, June 12, 2006
Issued at HKT 21:11
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