Chinatown market slapped with health violations after worker caught standing on fish

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Chinatown worker caught on camera standing on fish for sale

Outrage after a customer recorded video of a maintenance worker standing on top of fish for sale while he was fixing an electrical box. The Hung Kee Fish & Meat Food Market in New York City reportedly was slapped with a “C” grade for 'critical deficiencies.'

Health inspectors have confirmed that something fishy is going on at a Chinatown grocery store.

The Hung Kee Fish & Meat Food Market in New York City reportedly was slapped with a “C” grade for "critical deficiencies" Monday after a customer recorded a video of a maintenance worker standing on top of fish for sale while he was fixing an electrical box.

“Seriously, seriously, you’re gonna stand there on the food with your boots," the woman is heard saying in the video, which was posted on Facebook on Jan. 4 and has since gone viral, with more than 170,000 views.

The worker – with a surprised look -- says the store will then wash the fish, before kicking one with his boot.

“Oh you wash it, so it’s OK?" the woman then asks.

An employee at the store told Pix 11 on Monday the man in the video was called in to fix an emergency electrical problem and that all the fish he stood on – which appeared to be red snapper -- were tossed away.

But that answer was not good enough for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

"Upon receiving a video exposing an apparent food safety violation at Hung Kee Food Market in Chinatown, the Department sent a food safety inspector to examine the facility,” a spokesperson told Pix 11. “A full sanitary inspection was conducted on Monday, January 8, 2018, resulting in critical deficiencies."

The department said management has since instructed employees on how to access the store’s electrical panels without jeopardizing product integrity.

The Hung Kee Fish & Meat Food Market was told to post the results of the inspection in a visible spot in the store, Pix 11 reported. A follow-up inspection was also expected sometime in the near future.

The viral video prompted a flood of negative 1-star reviews on the store’s Yelp page, where users posted dozens of photos of the incident.

“Disgusting.....where is the manager ? Owner ? This place is terrible!!!!! Shop elsewhere please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” read one of the reviews.