Food Safety Centre Warns Against Bringing Raw Food Into Hong Kong
HK01 · 3 SOURCESabout 5 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
The Food Safety Centre (FSC) announced on Saturday that it will deploy specially trained detection dogs at land border control points to strengthen enforcement against illegal import of regulated food. The warning comes ahead of the new Huanggang Border Control Point opening on Monday. Centre officials emphasised that any uncooked wild game, meat, poultry and eggs, regardless of packaging including vacuum-sealed or foil-wrapped products, falls under strict regulation, with violators facing prosecution.
Key Points
- The new Huanggang Border Control Point is scheduled to open on Monday (October 13)
- The FSC will deploy meat-detection dogs at all land border control points to assist enforcement officers
- Under Cap. 132AK, all imported wild game, meat, poultry and eggs must have health certificates from the source authority or written permission from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
- In 2025, the FSC prosecuted 2,148 cases of illegal import of regulated food, with some offenders sentenced to immediate imprisonment
- Centre officials clarified that blanched (汆水) meat is not considered thoroughly cooked and remains prohibited
Why It Matters
The deployment of detection dogs marks an escalation in Hong Kong's border food safety enforcement, signalling authorities' commitment to preventing African swine fever and other animal diseases from entering the city through cross-border travellers. With millions of cross-border movements expected annually through the upgraded Huanggang Control Point, strict enforcement protects both public health and Hong Kong's livestock industry from potential outbreaks.
The deployment of detection dogs marks an escalation in Hong Kong's border food safety enforcement, signalling authorities' commitment to preventing African swine fever and other animal diseases from entering the city through cross-border travellers. With millions of cross-border movements expected annually through the upgraded Huanggang Control Point, strict enforcement protects both public health and Hong Kong's livestock industry from potential outbreaks.