Netherlands poultry meat import applications suspended
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    The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department's Centre for Food Safety announced today (August 3) that the processing of applications for importing poultry meat from the province of Gelderland, the Netherlands, would be suspended with immediate effect.

     "The decision was taken following confirmation of an outbreak of avian influenza H7 on a poultry farm there," a spokesman for the Centre said.

     "We will seek further information from the relevant authorities concerning the case," he said.

     Hong Kong imported some 7,000 tonnes of frozen poultry meat/offal from the Netherlands in 2005.

Ends/Thursday, August 3, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:56

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