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

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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 27) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Eure-et-Loir Department in France and Chester County of the State of Pennsylvania in the United States (US), and a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Aomori Prefecture in Japan, 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 940 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 150 000 poultry eggs from France, about 16 320 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 228.88 million poultry eggs from the US, and about 1 780 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 413.15 million poultry eggs from Japan last year.

"The CFS has contacted the French, American and Japanese 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.

Ends/Monday, March 27, 2023
Issued at HKT 15:32

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