Online sushi sellers to face official probe

Hong Kong authorities are to investigate online sushi sellers who appear to be in breach of food laws.
The secretary for food and health, Ko Wing-man says the government will review its enforcement after a media report identified five companies were advertising and selling perishable sushi and sashimi products online in an apparent breach of food regulations.
HKTV Mall, Oisix, A Style Gourmet, BuySashimi and Brotherhood Fine Food Company were selling sashimi imported from Japan without a license issued by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, according to an investigation by Ming Pao.
The companies tol Ming Pao they thought they did not require a licence because they were not processing the food, only retailing it.
Ko has a different view, stating all sales of sashimi, including those online, are regulated.
“It is not the case that [online] sales are not regulated by the law – it’s the difficulty in enforcing the law,” he said.
Hong Kong vendors of ‘high-risk foods’ such as sashimi and raw oysters require both a Composite Food Shop Licence and a Restricted Food Permit.
A series of food safety issues have caught news media attention in Hong Kong in recent times, including the sale of sandwiches imported from Taiwan linked to the food poisoning of about 100 people last month.
Regulatory authorities routinely ban imports of dairy, fish and meat products from various countries or regions both in Asia and beyond due to food safety concerns.

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