The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (April 11) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Teignbridge District of Devon County in the United Kingdom (UK) and Township of West Lincoln of ontario Province in Canada, 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 1 010 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 290 000 poultry eggs from the UK, and about 90 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Canada last year.

"The CFS has contacted the British and Canadian 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.