Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Hungary and Netherlands suspended

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 15) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture of Hungary about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Csongrád-Csanád County in Hungary; and a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Utrecht Province in the Netherlands, 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 Hungary for the import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs. According to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 270 tonnes and about 50 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Hungary and the Netherlands respectively in the first nine months of this year. 

     "The CFS has contacted the Hungarian and Dutch 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.