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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 15) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of low pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Fife County of Scotland, it has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area concerned with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
About 11 700 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and 10.6 million poultry eggs were imported into Hong Kong from the United Kingdom from January to November last year.
"The CFS has contacted the UK authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks in the country. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, January 15, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:53
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