Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Poland and Korea suspended

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 4) that in view of notifications from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Korea about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Kościański District of Wielkopolskie Region in Poland, and Gimje-city of Jeollabuk-do Province and Yesan-gun of Chungcheongnam-do Province in Korea, 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 4 460 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 30.2 million poultry eggs from Poland, and about 20 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 840 000 poultry eggs from Korea last year.

"The CFS has contacted the Polish and Korean authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health 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.

Ends/Friday, February 4, 2022