The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced last week that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in areas in Russia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the relevant areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

Relevant areas include:

Russia
(1) Sakhalin Oblast

Canada
(2) Rouville Regional County Municipality of Quebec Province
(3) Clear Hills County of Alberta Province

France
(4) Mayenne Department

Germany
(5) District of Gießen of the State of Hessen

UK
(6) East Northamptonshire District of Northamptonshire County
(7) East Ayrshire of Scotland

US
(8) Lehigh County of the State of Pennsylvania
(9) Butler County of the State of Ohio
(10) Lawrence County of the State of Mississippi
(11) Wright County of the State of Iowa

A CFS spokesperson said that Hong Kong has currently established a protocol with Russia for the import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs. 

According to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 110 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Russia, about 90 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Canada, about 670 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 150 000 poultry eggs from France, about 30 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Germany, about 940 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 230 000 poultry eggs from the UK, and about 10 650 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and 227.48 million poultry eggs from the US in the first nine months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the Russian, Canadian, French, German, British 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 spokesperson said.