Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Mexico and Poland suspended

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 26) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland respectively about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the State of Tamaulipas in Mexico and Cieszyński District of Śląskie Region in Poland, 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 Mexico for the import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs. According to the Census and Statistics Department, no poultry meat was imported into Hong Kong from Mexico in the first nine months of last year. Moreover, Hong Kong imported about 2 000 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 15.4 million poultry eggs from Poland in the first nine months of last year.

​"The CFS has contacted the Mexican and Polish 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, January 26, 2023