The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 11) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Redcar and Cleveland of North Yorkshire County in the United Kingdom (UK), 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 90 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, about 11 040 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 420 000 poultry eggs from the UK last year.
"The CFS has contacted the British authorities over the issue 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.
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