The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 24) that in view of notifications from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom (UK), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) respectively about outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Bangor Townland Area of Northern Ireland in the UK and Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan, and an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the District of Coesfeld of the State of Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany, 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 770 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 1.17 million poultry eggs from the UK; about 1 540 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 219.73 million poultry eggs from Japan; and about 60 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Germany in the first nine months of this year.

     "The CFS has contacted the British, Japanese and German 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, November 24, 2025
Issued at HKT 18:42

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