food & environmental hygiene department

What food & environmental hygiene department does

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is a department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, established in 2000 through the consolidation of environmental hygiene and food safety functions previously dispersed across other agencies. It is the statutory authority responsible for safeguarding food safety, maintaining environmental hygiene, regulating food businesses and hawkers, managing public markets, cemeteries and crematoria, enforcing private columbaria regulation, and delivering pest control and street-cleansing services across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Core products include the e+ Licence Portal for online licensing, the Platform for Cemeteries and Crematoria Services (CCSP) launched in March 2025, internet payment systems, the Consolidated Annual Open Data Plan, and digital service integrations with iAM Smart and Trade Single Window Phase 3.

Operationally, FEHD runs a combined workforce of approximately 13,000 departmental staff and cleansing contractors, manages 809 public toilets, 171 off-street and 972 village-type refuse collection points, 2,200 bin sites, a fleet of 290 refuse collection vehicles, 80 street-washing vehicles, and 27 mechanical sweepers, and collects 5,550 tonnes of household waste daily. The Centre for Food Safety, a division of FEHD, tested over 51,000 food samples from January 2023 to July 2026, achieving a 99.8% pass rate. The department is led by Director Mr YUEN Yuk-kin, Albert, supported by the Controller of the Centre for Food Safety and two Deputy Directors, with Assistant Directors commanding operations across Hong Kong's 18 districts.

FEHD does not operate a commercial revenue model; it is funded by HKSAR Government budget appropriations, with services provided free at point of use to residents. Complementary revenue streams are limited to licensing and permit fees for food businesses, hawkers and private columbaria, plus fixed-penalty collections (HK$111 million from 37,000 cleanliness-related notices in 2025). Its go-to-market is therefore direct-to-citizen service delivery through district offices, the 1823 hotline, multilingual websites, mobile platforms, and physical facilities, with no commercial sales motion.

Name

food & environmental hygiene department

Legal name

Food and Environmental Hygiene Department

Website

https://fehd.gov.hk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is a Hong Kong SAR Government department regulating food safety, environmental hygiene, hawker licensing, public markets, cemeteries, crematoria, and private columbaria, serving the city's residents, food businesses, and visitors through district offices, the 1823 hotline, and digital portals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Environmental Hygiene and Food Safety Services

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Public Health (Food Safety, Water Quality, Sanitation) (BPAIAJAE)

Keywords

• Food safety regulation
• Environmental hygiene services
• Waste management
• Pest control services
• Public markets administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: FEHD is a Hong Kong government department funded by public taxation. Services are provided free at point of use to residents. Revenue comes from government budget allocations, not direct user fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is a Hong Kong government department that enforces food safety, maintains environmental hygiene, manages street cleansing and household waste collection, regulates hawkers and public markets, administers cemeteries, crematoria and columbaria services, issues food business and other licences, and conducts pest/vector control across the territory.

Product overview

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is a Hong Kong government department providing public services through a multi-channel platform. The department offers cleansing and waste management services, pest control, public market management, hawker regulation, cemeteries and crematoria services, food safety oversight, and various licensing services. Digital services include the e+ Licence Portal for online applications, the Platform for Cemeteries and Crematoria Services (CCSP), internet payment systems, and online booking systems. These services are delivered through the FEHD website, mobile applications, and physical service points across Hong Kong.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centre for Food Safety: A division of FEHD responsible for food safety control, risk-based food surveillance, import control, and food incident management.

Products and services

• Cleansing Services Territory-wide street cleansing, household waste collection, gully cleansing, public toilet management, and public bathhouse services for maintaining environmental hygiene in Hong Kong.
• Pest Control Services Vector control services for mosquitoes, rodents, and other arthropod pests, including disease prevention campaigns and public education on pest management.
• Public Markets Management Management and operation of public markets providing retail spaces for fresh produce, cooked food, and other goods, including modernization programs.
• Hawker Management Regulation and control of fixed-pitch and itinerant hawkers, including licensing, bazaar management, and enforcement activities.
• Cemeteries and Crematoria Services End-of-life services including cremation, burial, columbarium niche allocation, ash handling, memorial services, and the online Platform for Cemeteries and Crematoria Services (CCSP).
• Licensing Services Issuance and management of food business licences, liquor licences, other trade licences, permits for restricted foods, and restaurant licensing through the e+ Licence Portal.
• Food Safety Services Food safety control managed by the Centre for Food Safety including import control, surveillance programs, incident management, and regulatory enforcement.
• Private Columbaria Regulation Licensing scheme for private columbaria under the Private Columbaria Ordinance ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and consumer protection.
• Slaughterhouse Services Meat inspection and slaughterhouse operations including live pig supply, auction prices, and carcass inspection services.
• Electronic Services Portal Digital government services including the e+ Licence Portal for online applications and tracking, internet payment systems, cremation booking, and the CCSP online portal.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.8% food safety pass rate from 51,000+ samples tested (Jan 2023 - July 2026)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Centre for Food Safety (CFS)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe Centre for Food Safety operates under FEHD as the food safety authority. Its mission is to ensure food is safe and fit for consumption through tripartite collaboration among government, food trade, and consumers.
• Buildings DepartmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJoint Office with Buildings Department handles water seepage complaints investigation. Buildings Department plays important role in processing licence applications regarding building safety aspects.
• Fire Services DepartmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFire Services Department has important role in processing licence applications on fire safety aspects for food business premises.
• Environmental Protection DepartmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWaste collected by FEHD is transported to refuse transfer stations and landfills managed by the Environmental Protection Department.
• Drainage Services DepartmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNightsoil and sludge collected by FEHD conservancy services are transported to Sewage Treatment Works of the Drainage Services Department for disposal.
• Leisure and Cultural Services DepartmentminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPublic toilets at parks, beaches and recreational venues are managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department rather than FEHD.
• 1823 Contact CentrecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner24-hour hotline service (2868 0000 or 1823) handled by government contact centre for enquiries, complaints, and service requests to FEHD.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Environmental Protection Department (Hong Kong): Sister Hong Kong government department responsible for waste disposal, landfills, and air/water quality. FEHD hands over collected refuse to EPD for final disposal; complementary rather than overlapping mandate.
• Centre for Health Protection (Hong Kong): Hong Kong's public health agency focused on disease prevention and surveillance. Adjacent to FEHD's environmental health remit; coordinates with FEHD on foodborne illness investigations and outbreaks.

Direct peers

• NSW Food Authority (Australia): Australia's state-level food regulator with licensing, auditing, and compliance functions analogous to FEHD's food business licensing and inspection regime. Comparable scale and operational model in a developed economy jurisdiction.
• UK Food Standards Agency: The FSA is the UK government body responsible for food safety, food standards, and related public-health regulation. Comparable mandate to FEHD's food safety division, including risk-based surveillance, licensing, and incident response.
• Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety: South Korea's MFDS is the national authority overseeing food and drug safety, with risk assessment, surveillance, and licensing functions that mirror FEHD's food safety regulatory mandate in a developed Asian jurisdiction.
• Singapore Food Agency: Singapore's SFA is dedicated to food safety from farm-to-fork, mirroring FEHD's Centre for Food Safety functions including import control, surveillance, and incident management. Direct functional peer in food safety oversight.
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): India's apex food regulator oversees food safety, standards, and licensing across a massive jurisdiction. Comparable functional mandate to FEHD including licensing, surveillance, and enforcement in a high-density urban environment.
• Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Japan's MHLW handles food safety, environmental health, and sanitation policy at the national level. Its multi-function regulatory scope (food standards, sanitation oversight, public health) most closely parallels FEHD's integrated mandate.
• Singapore National Environment Agency: Singapore's NEA is the closest peer to FEHD: it combines food safety regulation, public cleansing, waste management, hawker/stall licensing, and pest control within one statutory agency. Both agencies serve as integrated multi-function public health authorities in dense Asian city-states.

Broad incumbents

• US Food and Drug Administration: The FDA is a much broader incumbent covering food, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices. The food safety division is functionally comparable to FEHD's Centre for Food Safety but operates at vastly greater scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FoodandEnvironmentalHygieneDepartment
• Instagraminstagram.com/fehd.hk

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about food & environmental hygiene department