Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Hungary and Vietnam suspended

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     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 15) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture of Hungary about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Bács-Kiskun County in Hungary, and a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza in Phu Yen Province in Vietnam, 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 Hong Kong has currently established a protocol with Hungary for the import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs, and has established a protocol with Vietnam for the import of poultry eggs but not for poultry meat. According to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 712 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Hungary, and imported about 3.25 million poultry eggs from Vietnam in the first nine months of last year.

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

Ends/Friday, January 15, 2021
Issued at HKT 16:08

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