Meat shops allegedly at centre of food poisoning outbreak will carry on trading unless convicted

Two meat shops thought to be the source of almost half the cases in the clenbuterol food poisoning outbreak will be allowed to keep trading while their owners go on trial.

Pork bought from Sing Tai, a shop in Po Heung Street, Tai Po, and Wing Kei, a stall in Sha Kok Estate Market, Sha Tin, was allegedly responsible for making 35 people ill. The outbreak made 82 people sick in five days. The operators of both shops were arrested and charged with sale of food unfit for human consumption yesterday.

Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Assistant Director of Operations, Rhonda Lo Yuet-yee, said the department would closely monitor the shops, but could suspend their licences only if they were convicted.

Under the Public Health and Municipal Safety Ordinance, vendors convicted of selling food unfit for consumption are penalised according to a point system, leading to temporary suspension of their licence. Repeat serious offenders face eventual cancellation.

But the levels of contamination at the Tai Po and Sha Tin stores were allegedly so high and affected so many people that Miss Lo said she would recommend stricter penalties in the event of conviction. She said very serious allegations were involved.

The offending pig offal contained high levels of clenbuterol, a chemical used to make pigs lean. It is banned in Hong Kong and farmers convicted of using it face a $50,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

About one tonne of pork and pig offal has been surrendered to health inspectors in the past five days. Officials also carried out about 200 raids on illegal slaughterhouses.

Three meat vendors were fined between $3,500 and $20,000 earlier this week for possessing unapproved pigs after a surprise check by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

The department's Deputy Director, Dr Leung Pak-yin, rejected claims that its surveillance system failed to spot the contaminated meat. 'We have a very good system to screen the meat before it hits the market and it is very unlikely that such a high level of the chemical could escape. It is even more unlikely because the contaminated meat came from two main sources.'

Dr Leung said the source of the tainted pork was still under investigation, but the department believed it came from an illegal slaughterhouse on the mainland.

Assistant Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Liu Kwei-kin said that the surveillance system was good, but stronger laws were required. 'We need tighter legislation controlling the use of animal feed, to specify the chemicals not to be used, and take legal action against offenders,' he said.

His and the Health Department have been inspecting local farms and collecting animal feed samples and pig urine for investigation.

Miss Lo said that although the outbreak of clenbuterol poisoning seemed to have ended, the public should remain vigilant and patronise only reputable meat vendors. 'Don't go for the cheaper ones with questionable quality. If you suspect anything unusual about the meat, call us immediately,' she said.