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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 15) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) that an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was detected at a poultry farm in the Province of Hoa Binh in Vietnam, the import of salted duck eggs from the province will be banned with immediate effect for the protection of Hong Kong's public and animal health.
A CFS spokesman said that the import of poultry and poultry products from Vietnam has been banned since January 2004 to help prevent avian influenza. The import of poultry eggs (including fresh, salted and preserved eggs) from the country was also banned from September 2012 until October 2, 2013, when the suspension for the import of salted duck eggs was lifted subject to compliance with the agreed health certification. However, since then no salted duck eggs have been imported from Vietnam to Hong Kong.
"We will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on the avian influenza outbreak and the latest situation in Vietnam, and will maintain close contacts with major local egg importers, distributors and supermarkets," the spokesman said.
Ends/Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Issued at HKT 20:00
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