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In response to media enquiries that poultry traders alleged the import quarantine requirements were set at a high level that the Mainland was unable to comply with, a spokesman for the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau today (August 21) reiterated that these requirements had remained essentially the same as they were before the regional outbreaks in February this year.

"The only requirement we consider essential and necessary is to ensure that the chilled ducks and geese should come from farms that are not affected by the avian influenza," the spokesman said.

"This requirement is totally consistent with the international practice and guidelines as promulgated by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

"The Mainland is free to decide how best this requirement could be met and we have not prescribed the methods to meet the ends. We do, however, conduct random PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests ourselves as part of our food safety surveillance programme.

"This is what the community would expect us to do to protect public health. It would not be in the interests of the public if we were to relax this basic requirement in order to help the trade," the spokesman said.

Ends/Saturday, August 21, 2004

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