One in two cleaners and security guards - the first low-paid sectors to receive a legal wage floor - say they are eating less because of rising food prices, a survey has found.
One in five said they bought food products about to expire - which usually carry a discount - to save money, the Friends of the Earth study found.
'Food expense has weighed heavily on workers. Even with extra frugality, we may lose out to inflation,' said Law Chi-wai, head of the Cleaning Service Industry Workers Union. 'The grass roots are usually manual workers. Economically-induced dieting will affect their work performance eventually.'
The green group was commissioned by the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions to poll cleaners, janitors and property security officers by phone in July and August. About 240 people responded to the poll.
Some two-thirds said they would compare prices of a product in different shops before buying.
A similar proportion said they would opt for cheaper, frozen food, while more than half said they would eat less meat or eat less in general.