Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Sweden and US suspended

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     �The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 19) that in view of a notification from the Swedish Board of Agriculture about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Municipality of Svedala of Skåne County in Sweden, and a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Hutchinson County of the State of South Dakota in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas, as well as the Municipalities of Staffanstorp and Lund of Skåne County in Sweden near the affected area, 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 70 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Sweden, and about 37 770 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 83.84 million poultry eggs from the US last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Swedish and American 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/Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Issued at HKT 17:25

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