Hong Kong bans import of poultry meat and products from Republic of Macedonia and areas in Greece, India, France, Sweden and Poland

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 1) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in the Republic of Macedonia and a village in the Rhodope Prefecture of Greece, outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in some areas in Gujarat State and Orissa State of India and an outbreak of low pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza in Val-d'Oise Department of France, the CFS has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the Republic of Macedonia, Municipalities of Iasmos and Komotins (places affected by avian influenza) in Rhodope Prefecture in Greece, Daman and Valsad Districts of Gujarat State and Sundergarh District of Orissa State in India and Val-d'Oise Department of France with immediate effect.

In addition, in view of a notification from the Swedish authorities about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Haninge Municipality, and a notification from the Polish authorities about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Nowotomyski, Olsztynski and Chrzanowski Districts, the CFS has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned places with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong imported about 15 500 tonnes of frozen and chilled poultry meat and 19.8 million poultry eggs from France, 32 kilograms of frozen poultry meat and 436 000 poultry eggs from Sweden, and about 20 500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 4.8 million poultry eggs from Poland last year. No poultry meat or poultry eggs were imported from Greece in the same period.

Hong Kong at present has established a protocol with India for the import of poultry eggs but not for poultry meat. No poultry eggs were imported into Hong Kong from India last year. As Hong Kong has not established any protocol with the Republic of Macedonia for imports of poultry meat and eggs, there is no import of such commodities from the Republic of Macedonia.

"The CFS has contacted the Greek, Indian, French, Swedish, Polish and Macedonian authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

Ends/Wednesday, February 1, 2017