How strict is food safety in Hong Kong? While we are worried about the quality of food in the mainland, our friends in Hong Kong can easily enjoy the same ingredients from the mainland, but without worry. What's their secret?
Having said that, 80% of the ingredients on the table in Hong Kong come directly from the mainland. How can the safety of these ingredients be guaranteed when they travel to Hong Kong across thousands of mountains and rivers?
Hong Kong has a high standard of food safety control. In Hong Kong, whether you're a big hotel or a street stall, the food you serve has to pass a series of demanding requirements.
Fresh food, meat and eggs are subject to a meticulous inspection before entering the Hong Kong market. It's not just a random inspection, but a strict double checkpoint of weight, feed and additives.
The weight of the pigs must be controlled between 90 and 110 kg, which is an iron rule. Poultry products such as chickens and ducks cannot have any pesticide residues and additives in the feed, once found, it is a big deal.
Hong Kong's food safety testing is not just superficial, they also label all agricultural products with clear origin information, which can be traced to every link in the supply chain.
This ensures that if something goes wrong, it can be quickly located and dealt with. Hong Kong's legal sanctions against non-compliant suppliers are extremely severe.
If a problem is identified, a fine of up to HK$50,000 can be imposed and a six-month detention sentence can be imposed. Such heavy penalties have increased the importance of suppliers to food quality.
Why is it so difficult to fully implement such strict standards and regulatory mechanisms in the Mainland?
It's a little confusing. The export of agricultural and sideline products from the mainland to Hong Kong can meet such a high standard, so why can't it be implemented in the mainland market? Some people may say that the population base of the mainland is large, and it is too difficult to meet such a standard for all of them. Is that really the reason?
Many people believe that this is actually a problem of the system. Some testing institutions in the mainland have not given full play to their functions, and some only exist in form.
The situation may be different if the mainland could truly enforce the food safety law and impose heavy fines on violators. If every time there is a food safety problem, it can be severely punished, will those businesses who dare to cut corners be so bold?
Hong Kong's food safety practices provide a mirror to the mainland. Each test is strict to every batch and every place, is this practice also worth learning?
Such strict testing methods ensure the quality of food and bring confidence to consumers. In Hong Kong, you can feel this confidence wherever you go. From five-star hotels to roadside stalls, every bite of food is reassuring.
Although food safety in the mainland is also improving, there is still a certain gap compared with Hong Kong's standards. The gap is more of a problem of management and system execution.
The success story of Hong Kong tells us that strict regulations and enforcement are the key to food safety. If the mainland can make a breakthrough in this regard, it is believed that it will not only improve the level of domestic food safety, but also establish a better image in the world.
The amount of work behind this is enormous and requires the joint efforts of governments, businesses and consumers. The government should strengthen supervision, introduce stricter laws and regulations, and strictly enforce them. Enterprises should enhance their sense of responsibility and ensure that every link meets the standards. Consumers should also be vigilant and take a stern look at substandard food.
Only in this way can we gradually narrow the gap between us and Hong Kong in terms of food safety, so that mainland consumers can enjoy truly safe and secure food just like Hong Kong consumers.
Food safety is about everyone's daily life, and the importance is self-evident!