HK customs warns against bringing raw meat into the city

Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&E) Deputy Head of Land Boundary Command, Lee Lai-yee, stated on a radio show today (Sept. 26) that foods containing raw meat, such as dumplings and wontons, must not be brought into Hong Kong.

With the rising number of cross-border travelers, C&E collaborates regularly with the Centre for Food Safety to conduct operations. Detection dogs are deployed to assist in identifying suspicious items.

Lee indicated that as of August of this year, there had been 1,324 cases related to this issue, twice the number compared to the same period last year, exceeding the total of 1,019 cases for the entire previous year. She noted that over 60% of these cases involved uncooked meats, likely because residents find it convenient to buy food from the mainland during their travels.

Lee also addressed a common misconception among some residents who believe that wrapping meats in aluminum foil, using vacuum packaging, or briefly boiling the meat would allow them to bring these items back to Hong Kong legally.

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