Before 2000, the Urban Council and the Regional Council had jurisdiction over recreation and amenities and some aspects of health such as food hygiene on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon and the New Territories respectively. Then-council members helped formulate policies that were implemented by the Urban Services Department and Regional Services Department.
After the two municipal councils were abolished, the duties of administering regulations for food hygiene, leisure and cultural affairs were transferred to the then-newly formed Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The FEHD is mainly responsible for food safety control, import control on live food animals, management of food incidents, management of public markets, hawker control, as well as environmental hygiene services and facilities. Irene Young Bick-kwan, who joined the administrative service in 1990 and had been serving as deputy secretary for the environment since 2019, took up the post of director of food and environmental hygiene in 2021.
Assisted by the controller of the Centre for Food Safety; two deputy directors; and the head of the Private Columbaria Affairs Office, she directs the operations of the FEHD. The controller of the Centre for Food Safety has responsibility for the execution of food safety control policies; the deputy director (environmental hygiene) is in charge of planning and directing the delivery of environmental hygiene services; the deputy director (administration and development) oversees and manages the administrative support necessary for the department’s operation; the head of the Private Columbaria Affairs Office supervises all aspects of work of the Private Columbaria Ordinance and offers executive support to the Private Columbaria Licensing Board. The FEHD issues licenses for restaurants, bakeries, factory canteens, food factories, temporary food factories, fresh provision shops, milk factories, siu mei and lo mei shops; online restricted food permits, public entertainment licenses (cinemas/theaters), karaoke establishment permits kept or used for the purpose of karaoke in a restaurant, funeral parlor licenses, undertaker licenses, liquor licenses, and club liquor licenses.
To boost tourism and improve competitiveness, Hong Kong should implement a comprehensive licensing system for liquor and restaurants. The issuing of liquor licenses, which was intended to ensure individuals younger than 18 do not consume alcohol in restaurants, should not be considered within the purview of restaurant licenses, since the effectiveness of liquor licenses is questionable, considering that convenience stores sell alcohol 24/7.
Hong Kong lacks comprehensive research on food-and-beverage industry policies and their impact on the industry ecosystem. The city had a flourishing local agriculture sector in the 1970s, but outbreaks of bird flu and swine flu led to the importation of agricultural products from the Chinese mainland. As of 2021, only 19 percent of the 4,077 hectares of agricultural land in Hong Kong are actively utilized, while the remaining 81 percent has been abandoned. Some local farms are adopting precision agriculture methods like hydroponics and organic aquaculture.
Without a solid agricultural policy, abandoning farmland could harm local agricultural productivity. The F&B industry relies on fresh ingredients and requires talent, financial resources and suitable locations. Some restaurants remain open, despite economic downturns, only by operating in their own properties. The current licensing system requires a government review to devise industry development strategies. That entails assessing food sources, talent development, and the investment ecosystem. If the words of Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, “Visit anywhere in Hong Kong”, are to be realized, the F&B industry is expected to play a crucial role. The FEHD, unfortunately, focuses on regulatory management, which falls short of effective governance. It raises the question whether the institution and the system it represents could support the future development of the F&B industry.
As a city for tourists, the F&B industry and the tourism and hospitality sector are interrelated. How can the structure be simplified, the application procedures streamlined? It is possible to learn from Japan in terms of attracting more investors to invest in building new types of guesthouses. The hospitality sector in Japan offers phenomenal accommodations. Hong Kong could also learn from Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea, which all offer diverse accommodation experiences. Short-to-medium-term strategies are crucial for bringing about change in the F&B industry. The Environment and Ecology Bureau, which supervises the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department and the FEHD, should be involved in these efforts.
The Food Truck Scheme flopped and became a subject of amusement. Food-truck owners were confronted with numerous requirements, including obtaining licenses from the FEHD; completing vehicle registration and obtaining licenses from the Transport Department; complying with the Fire Safety Ordinance commanded by the Fire Services Department; and in order to produce electricity, they must also meet the requirements laid down by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department. Have legislators addressed these issues to avoid further failures? The F&B industry plays a significant role in fueling the tourism industry.
Hong Kong, once known as a “food paradise”, still offers a plethora of amazing food that should not be missed by visitors. However, the lack of policy support has led to the decline of traditional sauce factories in areas like the Northern Metropolis. The heritage and culture that were nurtured with the land will soon vanish with the government’s land-acquisition plan. Without a long-term plan to protect our legacy, including local and traditional Chinese food, traditional Chinese medicine cuisine, the culture of food treatment, to name a few, we risk losing valuable cultural assets like neon signs. Hong Kong can strengthen its position as a global culinary destination and enhance the overall tourism experience for visitors, but only if the government pays its dues by establishing a system for developing the F&B industry. That in turn will make the tourism industry more competitive.
The author is a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies and artistic director of Zuni Icosahedron.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
