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

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 20) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Panchkula District of Haryana State in India, and in Gers Department in France, and a notification from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland about outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in MyÅ›liborski District of Zachodniopomorskie 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 India for the import of poultry eggs but not for poultry meat. According to the Census and Statistics Department, in the first nine months of last year, no eggs were imported from India; and Hong Kong imported about 8 740 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 1.1 million poultry eggs from France; and about 9,900 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 21.32 million poultry eggs from Poland.

     "The CFS has contacted the Indian, French and Polish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE 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.