Import of poultry meat and items from locations in Canada and France suspended
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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department revealed today (October 20) that in view of notices from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about a break out of extremely pathogenic H5N1 bird influenza in the Rural Municipality of Ste. Rose of Manitoba Province in Canada, and a break out of extremely pathogenic H5 bird influenza in Loire-Atlantique Department in France, 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 result to secure public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesperson stated that according to the Census and Statistics Department, no poultry meat or eggs were imported into Hong Kong from Canada in the very first 6 months of this year; and Hong Kong imported about 400 tonnes of cooled and frozen poultry meat, and about 20 000 poultry eggs from France in the very first 6 months of this year.
“The CFS has contacted the Canadian and French 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 representative stated.