Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) Monday continued blitz operations against unhygienic food premises in various districts.
Since June 5, the FEHD has inspected more than 24,500 licensed food premises, including restaurants, food canteens and food factories.
The operations led to 613 prosecutions for breaches of the Food Regulation, 239 statutory notices being issued requiring operators to clean up areas within six meters of their food premises, and the seizure of about 1,252 kilograms of contaminated open food.
"Consequent upon these enforcement actions, we will now target on those licensed food premises found in breach of the law during our operations in the past nine weeks against unhygienic operation of food business," said a spokesman for the department.
"Through a series of highly focused and vigorous actions within a short period of time, we hope to achieve a stunning deterrent effect on recalcitrant operators," he said.
He added that during the surprise inspections, particular attention will be paid to such hygiene irregularities as dirty surroundings, scullery food preparation in public places, and exposure of open food.
The spokesman reiterated that the department would continue to adopt a "zero tolerance" enforcement policy to ensure that all food premises maintained a high level of cleanliness and good environmental hygiene.
He stressed, "We are determined to continue stringent enforcement actions against those recalcitrant operators who have blatantly contravened provisions under the Food Business Regulation.
"We will continue to strengthen our enforcement actions against unhygienic food premises to help make Hong Kong a clean and healthy city," he said.