CFS follows up on aquatic and seaweed products imported from Japan suspected of breaching Food Safety Order
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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 2) that aquatic and seaweed products manufactured and processed in regulated Japanese metropolis/prefectures were suspected to be in breach of the relevant Food Safety Order when the CFS inspected food imported from Japan. The products concerned have been marked and sealed by the CFS and have not entered the market. The CFS is following up on the cases.
A spokesman for the CFS said, “During inspections of the food labels of the concerned consignments of food imported from Japan, the CFS found two boxes of frozen crab legs suspected to have been processed in Ibaraki Prefecture, five packs of frozen fish roe product and three packs of chilled scallops suspected to have been manufactured and processed in Miyagi Prefecture respectively, as well as two packs of dried seaweed products suspected to have been manufactured and processed in Tokyo respectively, after the Order was issued. The importers concerned are thus suspected of breaching the relevant Order.”
According to the Order, all aquatic products originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, are prohibited from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong if they are harvested, manufactured, processed or packed on or after August 24, 2023, including all live, chilled, frozen, dried or otherwise preserved aquatic products, sea salt, and unprocessed or processed seaweed.
The CFS will continue to follow up on the incidents and take appropriate action, including informing the Japanese authorities concerned of the incidents. Prosecution will be instituted against the importers concerned should there be sufficient evidence. The investigation is ongoing.
