The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 22) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Tehran Province of Iran and Helsingør Municipality of Denmark, it has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from Iran and Helsingør, Fredensborg and Gribskov Municipalities of Denmark with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

      A CFS spokesman said Hong Kong has imported about 1 100 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 1.6 million poultry eggs from Denmark in the first nine months of this year. Since Hong Kong has not established any protocol with Iran for imports of poultry meat and eggs, there is no import of such commodities from Iran.

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

Ends/Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Issued at HKT 19:07

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