Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Germany, Poland and Japan suspended

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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 4) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Spree-Neiße District, State of Brandenburg in Germany; a notification from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland about outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Łęczyński District, Lubelskie Region in Poland; and a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Gifu Prefecture in Japan, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, in the first nine months of last year, Hong Kong imported about 2 500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 880 000 poultry eggs from Germany; about 9,900 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 21.32 million poultry eggs from Poland; and about 50 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, about 4 300 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 200 million poultry eggs from Japan.

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

Ends/Monday, January 4, 2021
Issued at HKT 17:59

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