The administration watchdog has accused hygiene officials of turning a blind eye to breaches by meat vendors that one expert says could make their shops a breeding ground for health risks.
Of 46 vendors at seven wet markets the Ombudsman inspected, 26 did not fulfil the licensing requirement of keeping chilled meat below 4 degrees Celsius.
Ombudsman Alan Lai Nin said the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department's monitoring of the stores was "terribly lax".
University of Hong Kong microbiologist Professor Yuen Kwok-yung said infectious organisms on the carcass of a slaughtered chicken exposed at room temperature for two days would multiply quickly, posing health risks to consumers.
Among breaches found in the inspection were chilled chickens sold in plastic containers with no refrigeration, and some displayed without cooling containers to make them appear fresh.
The department categorised more than 90 per cent of the shops inspected as "low risk", meaning inspections will be made only once in 20 weeks.