Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Netherlands and Denmark suspended
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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 23) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Noord-Holland Province in the Netherlands and Tønder Municipality in Denmark 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 50 tonnes and about 630 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from the Netherlands and Denmark respectively in the first nine months of this year.
“The CFS has contacted the Dutch and Danish 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.