Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Poland, US and France suspended

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 6) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland about outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Parczewski District, the Radzyński District and the Bialski District of Lubelskie Region in Poland, and notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 and H5N5 avian influenza in Orleans County of the State of Vermont and Saint Clair County of the State of Illinois in the United States (US) respectively, and outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Nord Department and Côtes-d'Armor Department in France, 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 according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1 870 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland; about 40,060 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 2.62 million poultry eggs from the US; and about 830 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 50,000 poultry eggs from France in the first nine months of last year.

"The CFS has contacted the Polish, American and French 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, January 6, 2026