Import of poultry meat and items from locations in Denmark, Poland and Netherlands suspended
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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department revealed today (October 9) that in view of notices from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about break outs of extremely pathogenic H5N1 bird influenza in the Region of Southern Denmark in Denmark and the Turek District of the Wielkopolskie Region in Poland, and a break out of extremely pathogenic H5 bird influenza in the Province of Drenthe in the Netherlands respectively, the CFS has actually advised the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and items (consisting of poultry eggs) from those locations with instant impact to safeguard public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS representative stated that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 210 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 150 000 poultry eggs from Denmark; about 1 730 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland; and about 70 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from the Netherlands in the very first 6 months of this year.
“The CFS has contacted the Danish, Polish and Dutch 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 spokesperson stated.