https://www.scmp.com/rss/524373/feed The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), a Hong Kong-based governmental body dedicated to ensuring food safety and maintaining a clean, hygienic living environment for the populace. Established in 2000, its main areas of focus include comprehensive environmental hygiene services, food safety control via the Centre for Food Safety, management of public facilities like markets and slaughterhouses, and enforcement of public cleanliness regulations. 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 pet owners have called for environmental authorities to place rat poison in boxes instead of hanging them in transparent bags, with one owner saying his dog had to visit the veterinarian three times in recent months after accidentally consuming pellets that spilled from broken bags onto the pavement. In response to queries by the South China Morning Post, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said rodenticides were used “only when warranted”, and had adjusted the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348934/rats-versus-pets-hong-kong-dog-owners-want-rodent-poison-boxes-not-bags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348934/rats-versus-pets-hong-kong-dog-owners-want-rodent-poison-boxes-not-bags?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Authorities have launched an investigation into a potential food poisoning cluster that has affected 53 trainees understood to be from the Hong Kong Police College. The Department of Health said on Saturday that 48 male and five female trainees, aged 20 to 40, had developed symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever since Thursday evening. It did not name the police college in its statement, only referring to the location as a training institute. A source confirmed to the South... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345824/health-authorities-probe-possible-food-poisoning-cluster-police-college?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345824/health-authorities-probe-possible-food-poisoning-cluster-police-college?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:12:01 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu A wild boar bit a hiker in Hong Kong before it fell down a flight of stairs and died, according to police. A police spokesman said the victim, 57, had arrived at a public toilet at Boon Kin Village in Tseung Kwan O on Friday morning while hiking with her husband, also 57, and a friend, when the boar suddenly emerged and chased her. Shocked, the woman fell, hitting her head – resulting in swelling on her forehead – and scratching her limbs, police said. Some witnesses reportedly said nearby... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3345776/wild-boar-bites-hiker-tumbles-its-death-down-flight-stairs-village?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3345776/wild-boar-bites-hiker-tumbles-its-death-down-flight-stairs-village?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:55:57 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong has launched its first action plan on weight management, aiming to reduce the proportion of people who are overweight or obese to less than half the population in three years from the current 51.3 per cent of adults. On Wednesday, World Obesity Day, the Department of Health announced more than 40 measures, ranging from installing more weighing scales in government venues to exploring the inclusion of novel weight-loss injections in the drug formulary, in a bid to reverse the rising... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345436/hong-kong-launches-3-year-action-plan-help-residents-fight-flab?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345436/hong-kong-launches-3-year-action-plan-help-residents-fight-flab?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:48:43 +0000 Natalie Wong Natalie Wong Hong Kong’s civil service chief has defended a decision to open up recruitment externally for the role of food and environmental hygiene director, saying the move aims to attract experts who can take the lead in using technology to enforce laws. Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan also stressed on Monday that anyone hired externally would have no chance to climb the ranks as the next role would be permanent secretary, a position which, under regulations, must be held by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3344315/open-recruitment-hygiene-chief-can-attract-innovator-tech-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3344315/open-recruitment-hygiene-chief-can-attract-innovator-tech-push?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 07:07:06 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong authorities are looking at implementing a booking system and charging fees for camping hotspots as part of a review of management strategies in response to public concerns about overcrowded beaches and litter during the Lunar New Year holiday. The Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) posted its plan on its Facebook page on Sunday after campers and hikers called for stronger public education, law enforcement and limits on visitor numbers at popular sites. At Ham... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3344274/hong-kong-eyes-booking-system-fees-after-campers-overrun-hotspots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3344274/hong-kong-eyes-booking-system-fees-after-campers-overrun-hotspots?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 15:07:44 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A green group has called for long-term measures to tackle overtourism in Hong Kong’s scenic Sai Kung district after the number of tents at a campsite reached more than nine times its capacity on the second day of Lunar New Year, although authorities described the situation as “under control”. Greenpeace said on Thursday that it had counted 585 tents at the Ham Tin Wan and Sai Wan campsites the previous day, far exceeding the designated capacity of 50 at each location. Ham Tin Wan had 450 tents... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3344030/green-group-calls-action-after-hong-kong-campsites-packed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3344030/green-group-calls-action-after-hong-kong-campsites-packed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:25:52 +0000 Oscar Liu,Harvey Kong Oscar Liu,Harvey Kong Authorities are prosecuting the licensee of a Hong Kong branch of Japanese supermarket chain Don Don Donki after a video of a live rodent moving in the store’s sushi display chiller went viral. The footage, posted on social media on Thursday, captured a rat scurrying across pre-packed boxes of sushi in a chiller at the Don Don Donki outlet in the Tuen Mun Town Plaza shopping centre. In the 20-second clip, a man carrying a tote bag is seen flinching and backing away from the counter in shock... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3343259/outcry-over-hong-kong-hygiene-standards-rat-seen-don-don-donki-sushi-chiller?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3343259/outcry-over-hong-kong-hygiene-standards-rat-seen-don-don-donki-sushi-chiller?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 04:16:23 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong authorities have launched an unprecedented open recruitment exercise for director positions overseeing information services and environmental hygiene, with “strong political acumen” listed as a common requirement. The government posted the two job advertisements on its website on Wednesday, seeking directors for the Information Services Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. The posts will report to the permanent secretaries for home and youth affairs, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3343219/hong-kong-recruit-2-civil-service-directors-political-acumen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3343219/hong-kong-recruit-2-civil-service-directors-political-acumen?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:43:17 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu Hong Kong authorities have ordered the food trade to stop selling raw oysters supplied by two local companies and a South Korean firm after their products were linked to 21 suspected food poisoning cases in the city. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) on Tuesday night revealed the results of an investigation into a spate of food poisoning incidents in recent weeks. Individuals involved in 10 cases had consumed oysters supplied by Seojun Mulsan Co Ltd in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3343096/hong-kong-hotel-removes-seafood-items-its-restaurants-amid-food-poisoning-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3343096/hong-kong-hotel-removes-seafood-items-its-restaurants-amid-food-poisoning-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 13:32:22 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong’s health authorities have warned of a recent “drastic increase” in norovirus-related food poisoning incidents that are all related to raw oyster consumption, with 20 of them being recorded over the past 2½ weeks. The Centre for Health Protection said on Thursday that it had received 23 reports of food poisoning, involving 69 patients, since January 18. Among them, 20 cases affecting 57 people were related to norovirus, which typically causes food poisoning and acute... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3342562/drastic-increase-food-poisoning-cases-hong-kong-linked-raw-oysters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3342562/drastic-increase-food-poisoning-cases-hong-kong-linked-raw-oysters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:29:34 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong authorities are investigating the discovery of a severely decomposed whale carcass discovered on a beach in Sai Kung. Authorities were alerted to the decomposed carcass, measuring 11 metres (36.1 feet) in length, on Thursday after villagers found it on the beach at Ham Tin Wan, in Sai Kung East Country Park. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) deployed officers to the scene, with preliminary findings suggesting that the animal was a baleen whale. Based on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3341738/discovery-badly-decomposed-whale-carcass-sai-kung-beach-triggers-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3341738/discovery-badly-decomposed-whale-carcass-sai-kung-beach-triggers-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:56:09 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong’s environment minister has said that the city’s first batch of dog-friendly restaurants is expected to be approved by the middle of 2026, marking a significant shift in local dining regulations to bolster the “pet economy”. Appearing before the Legislative Council’s food safety and environmental hygiene panel on Thursday, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan outlined a series of measures from the latest policy address that aim to revitalise the catering sector. Under the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3341690/hong-kongs-first-dog-friendly-restaurants-could-be-opening-sooner-you-think?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3341690/hong-kongs-first-dog-friendly-restaurants-could-be-opening-sooner-you-think?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 09:03:45 +0000 Theodora Yu,Edith Lin Theodora Yu,Edith Lin Hong Kong authorities have arrested two women for hawking and received four complaints about unauthorised vendors selling merchandise for K-pop group Blackpink near a concert venue over the past few days. Hours ahead of the final night of the three-concert series of the popular Korean girl band on Monday, a Post reporter spotted about a dozen hawkers near Kai Tak Stadium, selling merchandise without official approval. Since the concerts began on Saturday, photos shared on Threads have shown... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3341304/2-women-arrested-hawkers-cash-blackpink-merchandise-craze-concerts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3341304/2-women-arrested-hawkers-cash-blackpink-merchandise-craze-concerts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:05:16 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A wild boar carcass found outside the luxury Deep Water Bay residence of Hong Kong’s richest man Li Ka-shing triggered a brief scare over possible human remains before authorities confirmed on Thursday that it was an animal. A 61‑year‑old security guard at Li’s home at 79 Deep Water Bay Road called police shortly before noon on Thursday after detecting a strong odour. Officers arrived and discovered the carcass of a wild boar at the bottom of a 20-metre (66-foot) slope. The Food and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340867/wild-boar-carcass-found-near-li-ka-shings-home-hong-kong-sparks-brief-scare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340867/wild-boar-carcass-found-near-li-ka-shings-home-hong-kong-sparks-brief-scare?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:46:28 +0000 Fiona Sun,Natalie Wong Fiona Sun,Natalie Wong Hong Kong authorities have replaced Tai Po district officer Eunice Chan Hau-man, who recently apologised for her choice of attire at the funeral of the firefighter who died in the catastrophic Wang Fuk Court blaze. Two government sources said on Tuesday that her removal was not triggered by the episode, but had been planned “for a long period of time” after multiple internal complaints against Chan, who had served in the role for seven years. Those complaints were related to her abrasive... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3339761/hong-kong-government-replace-tai-po-district-officer-eunice-chan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3339761/hong-kong-government-replace-tai-po-district-officer-eunice-chan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:02:27 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Nestlé Hong Kong has recalled another batch of baby milk formula over fears of potential bacterial contamination, while the latest government tests found no toxins in the brand’s products currently on sale locally. A spokeswoman for Nestlé Hong Kong said on Saturday that the company had added a batch of formula with a best-before date of June 16, 2027, to its recall list first released on Tuesday over cereulide, a toxin derived from the microorganism Bacillus cereus. “The batch only had a small... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3339458/nestle-hong-kong-recalls-another-baby-milk-formula-batch-test-samples-clear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3339458/nestle-hong-kong-recalls-another-baby-milk-formula-batch-test-samples-clear?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 15:29:29 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Taiwanese mortuary reconstruction specialist Kuo Chang-chen wasted no time starting work to restore the bodies of Wang Fuk Court’s fire victims upon arriving in Hong Kong on Thursday. Kuo, 62, is leading a team of five other specialists from Taiwan who volunteered to assist in reconstructing the remains of the victims at the Kowloon Funeral Parlour. Their work aims to prepare the bodies for dignified funerals and offer closure to grieving families. “Every unexpected event deeply wounds the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3336959/taiwan-restoration-experts-help-families-say-goodbye-hong-kong-fire-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3336959/taiwan-restoration-experts-help-families-say-goodbye-hong-kong-fire-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:49:53 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong authorities have closed hiking trails on Tsing Yi for large-scale mosquito control after five local cases of chikungunya fever were detected among recent visitors. The Centre for Health Protection said on Tuesday that the fact members of the public continued to be infected after visiting the Tsing Yi Nature Trails – despite a series of mosquito prevention and control operations over recent weeks – reflected that the risk of infection in the area remained. “Compared with urban settings,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3335795/hong-kong-shuts-tsing-yi-hiking-trails-amid-links-5-local-chikungunya-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3335795/hong-kong-shuts-tsing-yi-hiking-trails-amid-links-5-local-chikungunya-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:55:00 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Hong Kong has recorded one additional locally acquired case of chikungunya fever involving a woman who went hiking in Tsing Yi, bringing the total number of confirmed local cases of the mosquito-borne disease this year to 10. The Centre for Health Protection said on Saturday that it had recorded a new local case as of 5pm, involving a 67-year-old woman living in Kwai Tsing district. According to the centre, a preliminary investigation found that the woman developed joint pain and a fever on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3335476/hong-kong-confirms-10th-locally-acquired-case-chikungunya-fever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3335476/hong-kong-confirms-10th-locally-acquired-case-chikungunya-fever?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 15:07:57 +0000 Willa Wu,Fiona Chow Willa Wu,Fiona Chow Families of residents still missing after a blaze engulfed an estate complex in Hong Kong on Wednesday face an agonising wait for news of their loved ones as the government needs more time to identify many of the bodies. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Friday that among the 89 unidentified bodies so far recovered from the charred buildings of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, about half would soon be identified as they were found inside their flats. But authorities needed additional... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334572/anxious-wait-relatives-people-still-missing-deadly-hong-kong-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334572/anxious-wait-relatives-people-still-missing-deadly-hong-kong-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 13:48:56 +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 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Mortuary charges set to be introduced at Hong Kong public hospitals next year could unfairly penalise families for delays in after-death arrangements, an industry association has argued, despite authorities saying those with financial difficulties will not have to pay. The funeral sector on Thursday criticised new measures gazetted last week that would introduce fees for mortuary services that are currently free of charge at public hospitals. The tiered fee structure, set to take effect on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3331732/hospital-mortuary-fees-will-unfairly-penalise-hong-kong-families-funeral-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3331732/hospital-mortuary-fees-will-unfairly-penalise-hong-kong-families-funeral-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 05:52:43 +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 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong A 51-year-old Hong Kong resident has been arrested for allegedly operating an illegal slaughterhouse in Yuen Long, where 150 live goats were discovered on a site with “extremely poor hygiene”. Authorities said the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, in a joint operation with police on Thursday, raided a secluded, enclosed plot of land spanning Ngan Kam Road in the New Territories, following a tip-off that someone was selling mutton online and was suspected of illegally slaughtering goats... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3316847/150-live-goats-found-hong-kong-resident-arrested-illegal-slaughterhouse-bust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3316847/150-live-goats-found-hong-kong-resident-arrested-illegal-slaughterhouse-bust?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2025 12:16:05 +0000