Q Are you satisfied with hygiene standards in your area?
As Yau Tsim Mong district scored 96 points in the recent hygiene survey conducted by the Home Affairs Department, one can only surmise that no deductions are made for non-compliance with regulations covering the operation of stalls selling hot food.
Despite Sars, avian flu and outbreaks of food poisoning, many of the food outlets in the area flaunt most of the good hygiene practices that one would expect to be the norm in a city that has suffered great economic loss as a result of poor standards.
Some stalls sell uncovered food beside crowded pavements and rows of stationary vehicles belching particles into the air. Open dustbins are just centimetres away from the food on display.
Cooked and raw food lie side by side, and the same utensils are used on both. Cracked tiles and scratched surfaces abound. Hands are wiped on damp, soiled cloths.
At night, hawker stalls appear on the streets. Some of the vendors serve food while smoking cigarettes.
It is quite obvious that many residents are quite happy with the low hygiene standards as these food vendors do a roaring trade, but unfortunately, when they pick up a bug after eating unclean food, it is passed on to others.