Some Hong Kong restaurant operators have urged authorities to clearly tell the public about the origins of problematic raw oysters following a spate of food poisoning cases, so that diners can make informed decisions in the lead-up to Lunar New Year, their peak business season.

Consumers are becoming increasingly wary about oysters, with some restaurants saying demand has plunged amid calls from health officials for diners to avoid consuming them raw as the number of norovirus-related food poisoning cases rises.

“Hong Kong people love eating oysters,” said Wilson Lau, director of an oyster restaurant in Yuen Long. “But some people may have just heard the news, do not comprehend the issue clearly and may even think all oysters are problematic. It will affect the business of many other restaurants.

“Therefore, when the government releases information, it should say clearly where the problematic oysters are from. It is now like we are tarred with the same brush [as outlets linked to problematic oysters].”

A number of restaurants told the South China Morning Post on Friday night that diners were choosing oysters sourced from European markets rather than from Asia after Korean imports were linked to 13 out of the 37 food poisoning cases between February 1 and 12.

But the Centre for Food Safety said on the same day that some patients had eaten more than one type of oyster from markets such as South Korea, Spain, France, Japan and Ireland.