The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 22) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Norfolk County of ontario Province in Canada and North Lincolnshire of Lincolnshire County in the United Kingdom (UK), 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, in the first three months of this year, Hong Kong imported about 10 tonnes of chilled poultry meat and about 90 000 poultry eggs from the UK while no poultry meat or eggs were imported into Hong Kong from Canada.

"The CFS has contacted the Canadian and British 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.