Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Canada and US suspended

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 24) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Rural Municipality of Monet No. 257 of Saskatchewan Province, Rural Municipality of De Salaberry of Province of Manitoba and United Counties of Prescott and Russell of Ontario Province in Canada, and Adams County of the State of Pennsylvania and Gregory County of the State of South Dakota in the United States (US), 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 60 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Canada and about 7 360 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and 201.48 million poultry eggs from the US in the first six months of this year.

​"The CFS has contacted the Canadian and American 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.

Ends/Monday, October 24, 2022