The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 28) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in areas in Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy and the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the relevant areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     The relevant areas are as follows:

Sweden
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(1) Municipality of Tomelilla

Belgium
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(2) Antwerpen Province

Denmark
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(3) Assens Municipality

Germany
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State of Baden-Württemberg
(4) District of Alb-Donau-Kreis

Canada
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Province of Saskatchewan
(5) Rural Municipality of Bayne No. 371

Province of Québec
(6) Charlevoix-Est Regional County Municipality

Province of Manitoba
(7) Rural Municipality of Hanover

Netherlands
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(8) Province of Gelderland

Italy
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Region of Emilia-Romagna
(9) Province of Forlì-Cesena

US
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State of Washington
(10) Grant County

State of Idaho
(11) Latah County

State of Michigan
(12) Ottawa County

State of Utah
(13) Sanpete County

State of Minnesota
(14) Kandiyohi County

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, in the first nine months of this year, while no poultry meat or eggs were imported into Hong Kong from Canada, Hong Kong imported about 20 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Sweden; about 30 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Belgium; about 230 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 180 000 poultry eggs from Denmark; about 60 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Germany; about 150 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from the Netherlands; about 90 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 9 000 poultry eggs from Italy; and about 40 060 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 2.62 million poultry eggs from the US.

     "The CFS has contacted the Swedish, Belgian, Danish, German, Canadian, Dutch, Italian and American 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/Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Issued at HKT 18:50

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