Import of poultry meat and products from Huelva Province of Andalucía in Spain suspended

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (August 11) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Huelva Province of Andalucía in Spain, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned area 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 80 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 32 000 poultry eggs from Spain in the first six months of this year.

     â€‹"The CFS has contacted the Spanish authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.