Hong Kong – Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Japan and Denmark suspended

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 14) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Iwate Prefecture in Japan, and a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Holbæk Municipality in Denmark, 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 40 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, about 3 240 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 286.19 million poultry eggs from Japan, and about 1 190 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 2.12 million poultry eggs from Denmark last year. 

     “The CFS has contacted the Japanese and Danish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE 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.