A new controversy over seafood safety in Hong Kong
A prominent Japanese sushi chain in Hong Kong is pushing back after a television investigation showed people carrying raw fish and other chilled goods across the border using foam boxes that bore the chain’s branding. The program, Scoop on TVB, aired on Monday night and presented footage of elderly couriers transporting boxes labeled with seafood types such as salmon, with some packages marked with addresses of Hong Kong districts including Jordan, Sheung Wan and Kwai Fong. The broadcast did not name Sushiro, but images of polystyrene boxes associated with the chain set off an online debate about food safety and traceability in the city’s dining scene.
According to the program, production staff spent months filming on both sides of the boundary after an anonymous tip in May. They said couriers were seen early in the morning at Lok Ma Chau’s Hong Kong arrivals hall, handling boxes labeled spotted salmon. Some consignments were allegedly transferred at the boundary and then loaded into taxis pressed into service as delivery vehicles. The team said a distribution point emerged at a car park near the Fung Ying Seen Koon temple in Fanling, where handlers sorted, repacked and redirected goods. The site conditions, the program claimed, were poor and storage did not meet hygiene standards. Producers suggested that similar handover points exist across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories, and said a follow up segment would trace where the products end up.
What the TVB program claims
The Scoop episode described a daily pipeline that breaks cargo into small batches carried by many individuals to reduce scrutiny, a method long associated with parallel trading. The footage focused on raw fish and other chilled seafood, alleging that at least some of the goods entered local markets and restaurants through informal networks. Taxi drivers interviewed by the production team complained they were being treated as goods carriers, a red flag given the temperature control required for perishable food.
Roadside sorting and repacking in Fanling
Investigators said they observed a routine where multiple couriers converged at a Fanling car park to unload, sort and repackage seafood before it continued to various destinations. Boxes were filmed stacked on the ground and exposed outdoors. For chilled fish, exposure raises the risk of temperature abuse, which can accelerate bacterial growth and spoilage. The program argued that the observed practices would fall short of basic food safety norms.
Taxis as distribution links
Drivers interviewed in the segment described an ad hoc network where taxis made back to back runs carrying foam boxes from the boundary to different districts. That practice would be a concern for anyone overseeing a cold chain, since consumer grade vehicles are not designed to keep products at safe temperatures for extended periods. The program framed the taxi leg as an indicator of a wider informal distribution system moving raw seafood into the city without adequate oversight.
Sushiro’s response and legal threat
Sushiro Hong Kong, operated under Food and Life Companies Hong Kong Limited, issued a strong rebuttal hours after the broadcast. The company said the program’s reporting was incomplete and one sided, and that linking the brand to smuggled ingredients lacked factual basis. It stated that all its ingredients are transported by designated professional logistics providers and comply with Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety rules. The company also said it would pursue legal action to defend its reputation.
In its statement, the company directly challenged the insinuations and described its controls from sourcing to delivery. Representatives said the people shown handling boxes were not staff of the firm or its logistics partner, and that the images likely showed discarded boxes being picked up without permission for unrelated uses.
Food and Life Companies Hong Kong wrote that its food safety standards remain intact and that any references to its brand in the investigative footage were misleading. It added that products seen in widely shared photos had completed required customs clearance and inspections before entering Hong Kong.
Introducing the company’s public position, Sushiro Hong Kong said the media claims had crossed a line and that it would act to protect customers and the brand.
Sushiro Hong Kong strongly protests against the false reporting by the media and will take legal action.
All ingredients are transported to each branch through designated professional logistics companies and comply with Centre for Food Safety rules.
The company said it reminded staff last month to handle waste materials, including polystyrene boxes, with extra care to avoid confusion. It pledged to maintain strict quality control and hygiene standards in line with its brand image in Hong Kong.
How Hong Kong regulates seafood imports and cold chain safety
Hong Kong allows large volumes of seafood imports daily, from live fish to chilled salmon. The rules focus on who can import food, how records are kept, and whether products remain safe during transport and storage. The Food Safety Ordinance requires food importers and distributors to register with the authorities and to keep transaction records for traceability. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Centre for Food Safety conduct checks at import points and in the market. Fish and shellfish fall under safety standards that cover temperature control, contamination risks and labeling. Reference materials on current rules are published by the Centre for Food Safety at cfs.gov.hk.
Registration and traceability
Registration of importers and distributors is a cornerstone of Hong Kong’s system. Businesses must keep invoices, delivery notes and supplier details so that investigators can trace a product through the supply chain. When a safety issue arises, accurate records allow authorities to identify suppliers, isolate affected lots and alert consumers. Informal channels that bypass registration can defeat these safeguards and make it harder to locate the origin of a product if something goes wrong.
Temperature control and hygiene
Seafood must be kept cold from the moment it leaves the supplier until it reaches the diner. Chilled fish is typically kept at 0 to 4 degrees Celsius. If it sits for long at warmer temperatures, bacteria multiply quickly. That can lead to spoilage or illness, especially for raw consumption. For restaurants, proper storage means verified cold transport, clean transfer points, regular temperature checks and swift receipt into refrigerated storage. Any break in these steps undermines safety and quality.
Are branded boxes proof of supply
Polystyrene boxes are widely used in the seafood trade because they insulate and stack well. After deliveries, restaurants often discard or return them. Third parties sometimes collect discarded boxes for resale or reuse. That practice can create confusion. A box with a company logo can move through many hands without the brand’s knowledge. The presence of a logo alone is not proof that the company sourced, received or served the contents inside a reused container.
This is why companies emphasize waste handling. Sushiro said it reminded staff to secure or deface discarded foam boxes to avoid misunderstandings. Proper disposal reduces the chance that someone uses branded waste for unrelated deliveries, which can mislead viewers who see the logo and assume a supply link that does not exist.
Public reaction and brand risk
The program prompted heavy online discussion. Social media comments ranged from alarm to skepticism. Many users asked about supply chains and cold chain practices. Monitoring of online chatter counted hundreds of mentions, with sentiment roughly balanced across neutral, positive and negative reactions. One data set recorded 676 mentions with about 18.7 percent positive and 22.9 percent negative. The rest were neutral. Users called for tighter checks at the boundary and stronger traceability in food distribution.
A person claiming to be a former employee wrote that, during their time with the company, sashimi orders were centralized and flown in from Japan before distribution to branches, while adding that sourcing can change over time. That claim cannot be verified. The exchange highlighted a recurring debate for mass market sushi, how to keep quality high while managing costs. Many commenters said the brand’s clear and prompt explanation helped, though they still want independent checks on cold chain compliance citywide.
What could happen next
The company has signaled legal action over what it calls defamatory insinuations. TVB indicated that further reporting on the alleged distribution network is in the pipeline. Food safety authorities typically monitor such cases and can launch spot checks of seafood suppliers and retail outlets. Restaurants, even if not named, often react by reviewing supplier documentation, logging temperature records and reconfirming that logistics partners meet their obligations. Taxi industry representatives may also weigh in if drivers feel drawn into cargo work that raises safety concerns.
Brand focused responses can include posting supply chain details, inviting third party audits and publishing temperature control protocols. Those steps help reassure diners who are wary of any break in the cold chain. The story will likely continue as more footage is aired and as companies address questions about sourcing, transport and waste handling practices.
Advice for diners
Seafood safety depends on clean sourcing and steady cold chain. Diners cannot trace every box, but there are practical steps that help reduce risk and reward businesses that follow the rules. These tips focus on signals that a restaurant takes safety seriously and on habits that keep raw fish safer to eat.
- Look for a visible hygiene license and recent inspection grade at the entrance.
- Check if chilled items sit on ice or in cooled display cases, not at room temperature.
- Order raw fish from venues that prepare to order and keep turnover high.
- When taking out sashimi, go straight home and refrigerate promptly.
- Ask staff about sourcing and daily delivery times if you have concerns.
- Avoid raw seafood if you are pregnant, immunocompromised or feeling unwell.
Main Points
- TVB’s Scoop aired an investigation showing couriers moving raw seafood in foam boxes, some bearing Sushiro branding.
- Sushiro Hong Kong denied any involvement, calling the report inaccurate and one sided, and said it will take legal action.
- The company said its ingredients are delivered by professional logistics providers in line with Centre for Food Safety rules.
- Sushiro said people pictured in circulation were not staff, and that discarded boxes may have been taken without consent.
- The program’s footage showed early morning handovers at Lok Ma Chau and a sorting point near Fung Ying Seen Koon in Fanling.
- Chilled seafood needs steady cold chain, and any roadside sorting or taxi delivery raises food safety concerns.
- Online sentiment was mixed, with hundreds of mentions and many users calling for tighter enforcement and traceability.
- Authorities can conduct spot checks, while businesses review supplier documentation and cold chain procedures.
