The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (September 27) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of low-pathogenic H5N3 avian influenza in Maine-et-Loire Department of France, the CFS has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that in the first six months of this year, Hong Kong imported about 7,700 tonnes of frozen and chilled poultry meat and six million poultry eggs from France.

     "The CFS has contacted the French authorities over the issue 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/Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Issued at HKT 18:02

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