The Centre for Food Safety today suspended the import of poultry meat, poultry products and eggs from areas in Korea, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland and Japan.  

The ban was issued in response to notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health, the Polish General Veterinary Inspectorate and the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries about the outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 and H5 avian influenza, the centre explained.

The centre has contacted the Korean, Norwegian, Dutch, Polish and Japanese authorities and will monitor information from the organisation and the relevant authorities on the outbreaks.

In the first nine months of this year, Hong Kong imported about 10 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 280,000 poultry eggs from Korea.

About 15 tonnes of frozen poultry meat were imported from Norway, while about 730 tonnes of frozen poultry meat were imported from the Netherlands.

Around 4,070 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 24.82 million poultry eggs were imported from Poland.

Additionally, about 40 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, 2,530 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 210.28 million poultry eggs were imported from Japan.