Hong Kong: New ban on poultry meat imports from Italy
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 13) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in the Province of Roma and the Province of Asti in Italy, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the two provinces with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that in the first nine months of this year, Hong Kong imported about 1 300 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 12 000 poultry eggs from Italy.
"The CFS has contacted the Italian authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.
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