The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 23) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the Province of Forlì-Cesena of Emilia-Romagna Region in Italy and Kävlinge Municipality of Skåne County in Sweden, 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, Hong Kong imported about 80 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 8 000 poultry eggs from Italy, and about 80 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Sweden last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Italian and Swedish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH 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/Thursday, March 23, 2023
Issued at HKT 17:40

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