Import of poultry meat and products from areas in UK and France suspended

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 7) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Worcestershire County, Newark and Sherwood District of Nottinghamshire County, and North Yorkshire County in the United Kingdom (UK) and in Drôme 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 770 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 1.17 million poultry eggs from the UK, 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 British 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/Wednesday, January 7, 2026