The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 27) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in the Province of Rovigo in Italy and the Zielonogórski District of Poland, the CFS has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned places with immediate effect.

     A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong imported about 3 300 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 250 000 poultry eggs from Italy, and about 20 500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 4.8 million poultry eggs from Poland last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Italian and Polish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

   

Ends/Friday, January 27, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:35

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