Five retailers were fined up to $3,000 for selling short-weight roasted meat in the first nine months of this year.

Customs officers posing as customers found the sellers falsely claimed the weight of the meat being sold was up to 38% more than it actually was.

Prosecution action against four more retailers is pending.

Under the Weights & Measures Ordinance, the maximum penalty for the offence is a $10,000 fine. Anyone who uses or possesses weighing or measuring equipment for trade, which is false or defective also commits an offence and faces a $20,000 fine.