*********************************************************
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (January 25) warned all fresh provision shop and market meat stall operators that they should not sell chilled meat as fresh meat, or they would risk having their licences/tenancy agreements cancelled or terminated.
During a blitz operation conducted this morning, FEHD officers found a fresh provision shop in Cheung Fat Estate, Tsing Yi selling chilled mutton as fresh mutton, and confiscated 21 kilogrammes of the meat in question.
"We will consider cancelling the licence of the meat shop as the operator has breached the licensing condition which prohibits the sale of chilled meat as fresh meat," an FEHD spokesman said.
The department will continue to closely monitor the sale of meat at the retail level and take stringent enforcement actions to safeguard food safety and public health.
"Anyone who has doubts about meat being sold at retail outlets should call the department's hotline at 2868 0000," he said.
Ends/Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:18
NNNN