Hong Kong customs warns cross-border shoppers not to bring raw meat and eggs into city

Hong Kong customs has warned cross-border shoppers against bringing uncooked food such as raw meat, poultry and eggs into the city, with authorities recording a 30 per cent increase in arrests related to such activities.

Jacqueline Lee Lai-yee, the Customs and Excise Department’s deputy head of land boundary command, urged residents and visitors to refrain from bringing in restricted food items ahead of the National Day holiday.

Cross-border grocery shopping in neighbouring Shenzhen has become popular since the border reopened last year, with residents capitalising on cheaper prices.

“Many of those who were arrested did not know the legal requirements for bringing in restricted food items,” she said on Wednesday.

“They thought they could use packaging methods, such as vacuum bags, foil or blanching meats [to comply with the law].”