https://www.scmp.com/rss/522402/feed The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is a governmental body in Hong Kong, headquartered at Queensway Government Offices. Established on 1 January 2000, its primary mission is to ensure food safety and maintain a clean and hygienic living environment for the public. The FEHD’s main areas of activity include comprehensive food safety control, environmental hygiene services such as public cleansing and pest control, and the management of public markets, hawkers, and cemeteries. It... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong’s food hygiene authorities are training 90 officers to assist and inspect restaurants applying for a new dog licence, while a cafe owner expects the framework to reduce legal grey areas when it goes into effect. Applications for the licence will open on Monday, with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department expecting the scheme to launch in July with a maximum quota of 1,000 restaurants in the first phase. Benny Yip Kwok-cheung, senior superintendent of legislative review, said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353835/90-officers-trained-inspect-eateries-under-hong-kongs-new-pet-friendly-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353835/90-officers-trained-inspect-eateries-under-hong-kongs-new-pet-friendly-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:00:19 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong restaurants applying for a licence that allows dogs will have to remove any hotpot from their menus and change their layout to comply with new regulations aimed at ensuring food and pet safety. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) also said on Monday that officers would patrol the premises every day in the first month to inspect and understand their operations, provide advice and ensure compliance with permit conditions. The department held the first in a series of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353178/no-hotpot-hong-kong-dog-friendly-restaurants-face-menu-and-layout-limits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353178/no-hotpot-hong-kong-dog-friendly-restaurants-face-menu-and-layout-limits?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 12:54:06 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Members of unlicensed hiking tours were among the hundreds of visitors who packed into Hong Kong’s Ham Tin Wan campsite on the second day of mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” break. The sink at the scenic Sai Kung hotspot’s only public bathroom was left clogged by food scraps after some visitors opted for hotpot. On Saturday evening, a South China Morning Post reporter estimated there were about 500 tents at the campsite. According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3352243/how-unlicensed-mainland-chinese-tour-groups-cash-hong-kong-campsites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3352243/how-unlicensed-mainland-chinese-tour-groups-cash-hong-kong-campsites?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 01:00:26 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Food poisoning, while traumatic for victims, rarely draws wider attention unless there are clusters of cases. A spate of recent incidents linked to oysters served in Hong Kong must prompt quick action from the industry and health authorities to find the source, ensure safety and make changes to protect the city’s reputation. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s Centre for Food Safety has identified dozens of cases linked to raw shellfish imported from South Korea, Spain and France.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3343888/food-poisoning-cases-hong-kong-must-prompt-swift-mitigation-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3343888/food-poisoning-cases-hong-kong-must-prompt-swift-mitigation-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 22:45:07 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Ricky Tam Wai-kit’s pet-friendly Uluru Cafe in Wan Chai was recently issued a grim ultimatum by Hong Kong food hygiene officers – a week-long closure if officers spotted one more dog in his restaurant, with another offence meaning losing his licence forever. “We like pets and animals, but this has made us a target for attack,” Tam said, adding that a neighbour had frequently complained to environmental authorities about pets in his restaurant. “I don’t understand why they have to weaponise the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3342526/hong-kong-barking-wrong-tree-dog-friendly-restaurants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3342526/hong-kong-barking-wrong-tree-dog-friendly-restaurants?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:30:10 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong’s fourth locally acquired chikungunya fever case could have resulted from a new source of infection unrelated to previous ones, a leading medical expert has said, adding that heightened surveillance by authorities may uncover more patients. Professor Jasper Chan Fuk-woo of the University of Hong Kong’s microbiology department issued the warning on Friday, a day after a 68-year-old woman living in Shau Kei Wan was listed as the city’s fourth local case. “Based on the epidemiological... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3332842/hong-kongs-fourth-local-chikungunya-case-may-be-linked-new-infection-source?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3332842/hong-kongs-fourth-local-chikungunya-case-may-be-linked-new-infection-source?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:06:33 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial If officials are going to backtrack on an unpopular decision, the sooner the better to limit political damage. A case in point is the contentious proposal to introduce mortuary fees at Hong Kong public hospitals, where storage of bodies until they are collected for cremation or burial has been free. News of the new charge soon became controversial. That was predictable. Given the time taken to complete necessary after-death processes in Hong Kong, the cost of storage could have quickly run into... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3332487/revision-hong-kong-mortuary-fee-plan-shows-alertness-public-sentiment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3332487/revision-hong-kong-mortuary-fee-plan-shows-alertness-public-sentiment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 22:45:08 +0000 Harvey Kong,Leopold Chen Harvey Kong,Leopold Chen Grave sweepers at a major Hong Kong cemetery have taken preventive measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites, determined to pay their respects to ancestors for the Chung Yeung Festival despite visiting an area near the city’s first reported local chikungunya case. A mosquito repellent station was also set up at the entrance of the Diamond Hill Columbarium, which is about 1km (0.62 miles) from the public housing estate where the patient resides. But some grave sweepers urged authorities... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3330721/hong-kong-grave-sweepers-brace-against-chikungunya-preserve-cheung-yeung-traditions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3330721/hong-kong-grave-sweepers-brace-against-chikungunya-preserve-cheung-yeung-traditions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 04:00:44 +0000 Connor Mycroft,Willa Wu Connor Mycroft,Willa Wu Hong Kong health authorities have identified 21 people showing mild symptoms of chikungunya fever who required blood tests, as the city’s leader pledged that his administration would go all out to prevent the viral disease from taking root locally. The Centre for Health Protection on Tuesday also said the source of infection in a 55-year-old woman confirmed with the mosquito-borne illness a day earlier was still under investigation, but a genome analysis was being conducted. The centre said it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330674/hong-kong-leader-vows-nip-chikungunya-bud-21-show-symptoms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330674/hong-kong-leader-vows-nip-chikungunya-bud-21-show-symptoms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:51:36 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong is on high alert after the city logged its first locally acquired chikungunya infection on Sunday. An 82-year-old woman living in Fung Tak Estate in Diamond Hill, Wong Tai Sin district, tested positive for the virus despite having no recent travel history. City-wide anti-mosquito operations are now under way to prevent the spread of the chikungunya virus and health officers are reaching out to people living within a 200-metre radius of the patient’s home – considered the high-risk area... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330518/chikungunya-fever-hong-kong-how-stay-safe-and-keep-mosquitoes-bay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330518/chikungunya-fever-hong-kong-how-stay-safe-and-keep-mosquitoes-bay?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 13:40:56 +0000 Edith Lin,Emily Hung,Ambrose Li Edith Lin,Emily Hung,Ambrose Li Blood tests have been carried out on seven Hongkongers with symptoms of chikungunya fever after health workers screened around 1,300 people in a high-risk area linked to the first local infection of the mosquito-borne disease, authorities have said. The Centre for Health Protection, which urged residents with symptoms to seek medical advice, also reported three new infections – two imported and one from an unconfirmed source – on Monday evening, a day after Hong Kong recorded its first locally... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330445/no-chikungunya-cases-found-among-450-hongkongers-screened-after-first-local-infection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330445/no-chikungunya-cases-found-among-450-hongkongers-screened-after-first-local-infection?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 06:43:25 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Air conditioners have made living in Hong Kong’s high-rise compact units much more pleasant during the hot summer months. However, the comfort may also become a nuisance to others, with the cooling devices in some neighbourhoods dripping like a rainforest. This is not helped when enforcement against the offence remains slack. The severity of the matter is reflected in the rising number of complaints against dripping air conditioners, up from 25,889 in 2022 to 31,135 in 2023 and 34,742 last year.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3325168/new-cameras-can-help-tackle-scourge-dripping-air-conditioners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3325168/new-cameras-can-help-tackle-scourge-dripping-air-conditioners?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 22:45:08 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong has recorded a new imported case of Chikungunya fever involving a woman who travelled to Foshan in Guangdong province, bringing the total to 13. Centre for Health Protection controller Edwin Tsui Lok-kin on Saturday urged schools to follow the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s anti-mosquito guidelines to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases on campus, with full-time teaching resuming next week. “Although the number of new Chikungunya fever cases in Foshan has... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3323773/hong-kong-confirms-13th-imported-chikungunya-fever-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3323773/hong-kong-confirms-13th-imported-chikungunya-fever-case?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 12:14:20 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong hygiene authorities plan to incorporate artificial intelligence into their third-generation cameras to detect dripping air conditioners after the recent deployment of night-vision devices helped improve their efficiency. Wan Chi-shun, assistant director of operations at the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, said on Thursday that the department spent HK$1.3 million (US$167,000) on developing 38 sets of infrared night-vision cameras, which were deployed from May and used to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3323540/dripping-air-conditioner-hong-kong-hygiene-authorities-plan-use-ai-spot-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3323540/dripping-air-conditioner-hong-kong-hygiene-authorities-plan-use-ai-spot-it?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 12:46:11 +0000 Mathias Woo Mathias Woo Hong Kong has long celebrated its status as a “culinary paradise” – a city where East meets West across steaming bamboo baskets and sizzling skillets. Yet behind the Michelin stars and street food fame, the city’s food and drink industry is quietly unravelling. Soaring rents, a deepening labour shortage, fractured supply chains and a vanishing pool of culinary talent have left businesses scrambling. In response, policymakers and industry leaders have embraced one particular remedy: the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322680/5-step-recipe-revival-hong-kongs-food-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322680/5-step-recipe-revival-hong-kongs-food-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 22:30:11 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong rat catchers have reported a 40 per cent year-on-year surge in the number of live rodents trapped, with about 89,600 captured in 2024, helped by AI-powered surveillance technology. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department introduced thermal imaging cameras equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) to track rodent activity last year, replacing traditional trapping methods such as searching for gnaw marks on sweet potato bait. In Tsuen Wan’s Hau Tei Square, for example, captures... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3322972/hong-kong-rat-catchers-get-ai-boost-live-trappings-rodents-surge-40?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3322972/hong-kong-rat-catchers-get-ai-boost-live-trappings-rodents-surge-40?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 08:41:46 +0000 Christopher DeWolf Christopher DeWolf In the Kowloon City Municipal Services Building, you can play badminton, borrow a book from the library, sample some of Hong Kong’s best Thai food and shop in a wet market where actor Chow Yun-fat is sometimes spotted buying his groceries. But not for much longer. The landmark complex is set to be demolished and redevel­oped in the near future. For University of Hong Kong associate professor of architecture Ying Zhou, it’s an example of both Hong Kong’s architectural ingenuity and how crucial... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3321972/hong-kongs-urban-living-rooms-can-these-public-spaces-survive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3321972/hong-kongs-urban-living-rooms-can-these-public-spaces-survive?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:15:12 +0000 Elizabeth Cheung,Vivian Au Elizabeth Cheung,Vivian Au Hong Kong should step up efforts to fight mosquitoes after the city recorded its second-longest black rainstorm warning, experts have warned, with data showing the breeding of the pest that can transmit chikungunya fever is “fairly extensive” in 70 per cent of the city’s surveyed areas. A black rainstorm warning lasted 11 hours and 15 minutes on Tuesday, the second-longest on record in Hong Kong. Three days earlier, the city recorded its first imported chikungunya fever case, a mosquito-borne... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320865/chikungunya-fever-hong-kong-urged-step-mosquito-control-after-rainstorm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320865/chikungunya-fever-hong-kong-urged-step-mosquito-control-after-rainstorm?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 14:07:41 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong has confirmed its first imported case of chikungunya fever since 2019, involving a 12-year-old boy, with health authorities urging residents to step up vigilance against the mosquito-borne disease. Should residents worry about a local outbreak? What protective measures should be taken? The Post breaks down the details for you. 1. What happened to the boy? The head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, Dr Albert Au Ka-wing, said the boy lived in Kwun... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320556/how-can-you-protect-yourself-if-hong-kong-has-chikungunya-fever-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320556/how-can-you-protect-yourself-if-hong-kong-has-chikungunya-fever-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 15:15:56 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle The freedom to use a suitable public toilet is a human right we can all relate to. Most of us know whether to use a washroom for women or “gents”. But for transgender people in Hong Kong, the issue can be deeply troubling. Many face a dilemma when using toilets managed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. They are required to choose one that corresponds to the sex stated on their identity card, often their gender at birth. Those making the difficult transition to the opposite gender... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3319703/now-time-change-mindset-lgbtq-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3319703/now-time-change-mindset-lgbtq-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Jul 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hongkongers should remain vigilant against chikungunya fever, leading expert Yuen Kwok-yung has said, stressing that the mosquito-borne disease could cause prolonged and severe joint pain due to weak immunity levels among the population. Yuen, chair of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong’s department of microbiology, issued the warning on Thursday following recent outbreaks in mainland China, including 3,000 cases reported in Guangdong province’s Foshan city. While the last... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3319373/stay-alert-chikungunya-fever-threat-leading-expert-tells-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3319373/stay-alert-chikungunya-fever-threat-leading-expert-tells-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 04:51:12 +0000 Joshua Kwok Joshua Kwok Chan Tak-ching, 92, spends her day at a stall set up next to a Hong Kong railway station, as her colleagues manage operations under a sweltering 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) heat. She is not concerned about the earnings of about HK$500 (US$63.70) to HK$600 a day. Chan’s main concern is being present at the stall to comply with what some have called an “outdated” hawking policy while providing her colleagues with the opportunity to earn a living amid the sluggish economy. “I am over 90... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3317974/how-hong-kongs-hawker-rules-are-pressuring-92-year-old-maintain-her-stall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3317974/how-hong-kongs-hawker-rules-are-pressuring-92-year-old-maintain-her-stall?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 08:03:21 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Sea patrol officers from Hong Kong’s Marine Department will start using body cameras from Tuesday to help them perform their duties more effectively. Frontline officers of the harbour patrol section across all districts would be fully equipped with the devices to help in investigations, evidence collection and documenting maritime conditions during major events at sea for safety purposes, a department spokesman said on Monday. Other government departments that have equipped frontline officers... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3316413/hong-kong-sea-patrol-officers-use-body-cameras-help-investigations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3316413/hong-kong-sea-patrol-officers-use-body-cameras-help-investigations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:16:04 +0000