Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Finland, Korea, Germany and Poland suspended

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     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 16) that in view of notifications from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Korea, and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) respectively about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Municipality of Janakkala, Tavastia Proper Region in Finland; Jeju-si in Korea; District of Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen, State of Bayern in Germany; and a notification from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland about an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Żarski District of Lubuskie Region in Poland, 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 440 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Finland; about 1,190 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 11.15 million poultry eggs from Korea; about 3,900 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 1.41 million poultry eggs from Germany; and about 13,500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 39.08 million poultry eggs from Poland last year.

      "The CFS has contacted the Finnish, Korean, German and Polish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE 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.

Ends/Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Issued at HKT 17:00

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