The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 20) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland about an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Wolsztyński District of Wielkopolskie Region in Poland, and a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Midlothian of Scotland in the United Kingdom (UK) respectively, 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 1 870 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland, and about 770 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 1.17 million poultry eggs from the UK in the first nine months of last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Polish and British 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, January 20, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:00

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