The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 13) that in view of a notification from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom (UK) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Newtownstewart Townland Area of Northern Ireland in the UK, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area 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 900 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat, and about 1.37 million poultry eggs from the UK last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the British authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

Ends/Friday, March 13, 2026
Issued at HKT 19:15

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