Food Safety Control of Imported Live Food Animals

Import Control of Live Food Poultry

The importation of live poultry for food consumption is controlled by the following regulations under the Public Health (Animals & Birds) Ordinance, Cap. 139.

  1. Regulation 7A Imported birds to be accompanied by valid health certificate

    1. No person shall bring, or cause to be brought, into the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from any place outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region any bird unless it is accompanied by a valid health certificate issued by a competent veterinary authority in that place certifying, to the Director's satisfaction, as to the matters referred to in Schedule 4. The health certificate shall be produced on demand to the Director or any person authorized by him.
    2. In this regulation, "competent veterinary authority* in relation to a veterinary authority in any place outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, means a veterinary authority who, to the Director's satisfaction, is competent for the purposes of this Regulation.

  2. Regulation 7B Designated points of entry for imported birds

    1. No bird intended to be slaughtered for food shall be brought into Hong Kong otherwise than through the relevant designated point of entry specified in Schedule 5.
    2. No water bird intended to be slaughtered for food shall be brought into Hong Kong unless it is carried in or on a vehicle, vessel or an aircraft in or on which no bird other than a water bird is carried at the same time.
    3. No bird which is brought into Hong Kong for the purpose of being slaughtered for food shall be removed from the relevant designated point of entry except with the permission of the senior veterinary officer.
    4. The Director may, by notice in the Gazette, amend Schedule 5.

    Schedule 5 DESIGNATED POINTS OF ENTRY

    1. If the birds intended to be slaughtered for food are brought into Hong Kong by land, the Man Kam To Control Point.
    2. If the birds intended to be slaughtered for food are brought into Hong Kong by sea-
      1. the pier at Western Wholesale Food Market in the case of water birds; or
      2. the pier at Cheung Sha Wan Wholesale Food Market in the case of other birds.
    3. If the birds intended to be slaughtered for food are brought into Hong Kong by air, the Hong Kong International Airport at Kowloon peninsula and the Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, Lantau, New Territories

  3. Regulation 9A Imported birds to be taken to designated places

    1. Subject to the permission of the senior veterinary officer under regulation 7B(3), the birds (other than quails) which are brought into Hong Kong for the purpose of being slaughtered for food shall be taken forthwith by the most direct route to the relevant designated place specified in Schedule 6, and no water bird shall be carried in or on the same vehicle with a bird other than a water bird.
    2. The Director may, by notice in the Gazette, amend Schedule 6.

    Schedule 6 DESIGNATED PLACE

    1. In the case of water birds which are brought into Hong Kong for the purpose of being slaughtered for food, the poultry market section in the Western Wholesale Food Market.
    2. In the case of other birds which are brought into Hong Kong for the purpose of being slaughtered for food, Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market.

    THE IMPORTATION REQUIREMENTS FOR FOOD POULTRY ARE SUMMARIZED AS BELOW-

    FROM MODE OF TRANSPORT CONTROL
    Mainland China By land (lorry) 1. Live food poultry must be accompanied by a valid health certificate
    2. Designated point of entry is the Man Kam To Control Point
    3. Designated place is the poultry market section in the Western Wholesale Food Market for waterfowl and Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market for non-waterfowl
    By sea 1. Live food poultry must be accompanied by a valid health certificate
    2. Designated point of entry is the pier at Western Wholesale Food Market for waterfowl and the pier at Cheung Sha Wan Wholesale Food Market for non-waterfowl
    3. Designated place is the poultry market section in the Western Wholesale Food Market for waterfowl and Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market for non-waterfowl
    By air 1. Live food poultry must be accompanied by a valid health certificate
    2. Designated point of entry is the Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, Lantau, New Territories
    3. Designated place is the poultry market section in the Western Wholesale Food Market for waterfowl and Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market for non-waterfowl

    The traders/importers who want to import food poultry into Hong Kong from the Mainland must ensure that the poultry are covered by a valid health certificate issued by a competent veterinary authority. The health certificate must certify that all poultry have fully met with relevant regulatory requirements on avian influenza, prohibited chemicals and agricultural and veterinary chemicals.

    For importation from all other places (except the Mainland), the traders/importers must also apply for a Special Permit well in advance from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Permit terms will be set out and the permittee must ensure that the terms are complied with in full.

    To strengthen the prevention and control against the outbreak of avian flu, FEHD and the State General Administration of the People's Republic of China for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine have agreed that with effect from 15 January 2004, all live poultry (except pigeons and waterfowls) must be vaccinated against H5 avian flu with deactivated vaccine authorized for production and use by the State Ministry of Agriculture before importing to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.