Macao Municipal Administration to strengthen inspection and control of hairy crab supplies and quality

With the manufacture of hairy crabs now in season, the Macao Municipal Services Department has stepped up inspections on the premises where hairy crabs are supplied and sold in Macao to ensure that they are sourced legally and of safe quality. The trade and the public are reminded to select, store and cook hairy crabs carefully to ensure food safety.

The Municipal Services Department continues to exercise strict control over fresh food imported and sold in Australia through a strict import inspection and quarantine system and market inspection mechanism. On the quality and safety monitoring of hairy crabs, the Municipal Services Department has maintained close liaison with the Mainland authorities to strengthen supervision at source. Since 2017, the relevant aquaculture farms must pass the pre-inspection of the Municipal Services Department and be directly sealed by the supervision authority of the source farm before they can be exported to Macao to avoid mixing with other sources.

Meanwhile, the City Services Department has stepped up inspections of retail, wholesale and catering establishments to monitor the legality of the source of hairy crabs. Premises officers have been reminded to properly store and display their products and keep arrival records to facilitate source verification. The Town Services Department reminded the trade that hairy crabs sold or supplied in any form in Macao, including online shopping, purchasing, selling or supplying in physical shops, are subject to mandatory health inspection and quarantine and may be subject to prosecution.

In addition, consumers should purchase hairy crabs from reputable and hygienic shops and be aware of the source of the crabs. When selecting hairy crabs, they should be strong and have a complete shiny shell and no smell. They should be thoroughly cooked before eating. Once the crab is dead, it is easy to breed a large number of microorganisms and should not be cooked for further consumption.