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

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 12) that in view of notifications from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Kagawa Prefecture in Japan, and an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the Ostrów Wielkopolski District of the Wielkopolskie Region in Poland respectively, 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 1,540 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 219.73 million poultry eggs from Japan, and about 1,870 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland in the first nine months of last year.

"The CFS has contacted the Japanese 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/Monday, January 12, 2026