Hairy crab retailers say they have suffered a 15 per cent drop in sales, which some attribute to the poor economy.
The bad news for the retailers follows a report last winter that the seasonal delicacy was contaminated with antibiotics.
But a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department spokesman said yesterday recent checks of crab retailers and importers found 50 samples tested did not exceed allowable levels of antibiotics, heavy metals or bacteria.
Hairy crab retailers on Granville Road in Tsim Sha Tsui said sales this year had dropped 15 per cent from last year.
Tse Chuen-gun, who owns the Sam Yeung Tai Kee store, blamed the weak economy.
Mr Tse said vendors had been forced to drop prices from $70 to $60 a crab. The price of a basket, normally containing 48 crabs, has fallen from $3,200 to $2,800.