HK bans import of poultry eggs from Bac Ninh, Vietnam

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 13) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) that outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza were detected at villages in the Province of Bac Ninh in Vietnam, the import of salted duck eggs from the province will be banned with immediate effect for the protection of Hong Kong's public and animal health.

A CFS spokesman said, "The import of poultry and poultry products from Vietnam has been banned since January 2004 to help prevent avian influenza. The import of poultry eggs (including fresh, salted and preserved eggs) from the country was also banned from September 2012 until early October last year when the suspension for the import of salted duck eggs was lifted subject to compliance with the agreed health certification."

The import ban on the same item from the Province of Hoa Binh in Vietnam has been in effect since mid-October last year due to the outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza detected at a poultry farm in the Province of Hoa Binh in Vietnam earlier and the import ban is still in force, the spokesman added.

"We will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on the avian influenza outbreak and the latest situation in Vietnam, and will maintain close contacts with major local egg importers, distributors and supermarkets," the spokesman said.

Ends/Monday, January 13, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:35