The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 23) that in view of a notification from the Swedish authorities about an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza on Uto island, Sweden, it has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the island with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that in the first 10 months of this year, Hong Kong imported about 32 kilograms of frozen poultry meat and 218 000 poultry eggs from Sweden.

     "The CFS has contacted the Swedish authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health 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, December 23, 2016
Issued at HKT 15:55

NNNN