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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 18) that based on the announcement made by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany, it has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the state with immediate effect for the protection of public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that about 5 500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 580 000 poultry eggs were imported from Germany into Hong Kong from January to October this year.
The CFS has contacted the German authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on the avian influenza outbreak in the country. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation.
Ends/Thursday, December 18, 2014
Issued at HKT 16:37
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