The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 11) that in view of a notification from the Swedish Board of Agriculture about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Mjölby Municipality of Östergötland County in Sweden, and that the Swedish authorities extended the restriction area to its adjacent Motala Municipality, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from Motala Municipality with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
 
      A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1 550 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Sweden last year.
 
      "The CFS has contacted the Swedish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

Ends/Thursday, March 11, 2021
Issued at HKT 14:50

NNNN