Import of poultry meat and products from areas in France, Poland and US suspended

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (August 26) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Morbihan Department in France, and outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Świebodziński District of Lubuskie Region in Poland and Hillsborough County of the State of Florida in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 830 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 110 000 poultry eggs from France, about 1 620 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland, and about 40 950 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 13.86 million poultry eggs from the US in the first six months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the French, Polish and American authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

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