Hong Kong suspends poultry imports from Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong has suspended imports of poultry meat and products from Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture due to the bird flu outbreaks.

The decision was announced after Japanese authorities notified CFS about the outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Miyazaki Prefecture.

CFS instructed companies to suspend poultry meat and eggs imports from the prefecture with immediate effect in order to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said: “The CFS has contacted the Japanese authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks.

“Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation.”

According to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported approximately 4,300t of frozen poultry meat, 50t of chilled poultry meat, and nearly 200 million poultry eggs from Japan during the first nine months of this year.

Last month, CFS suspended the imports of poultry meat and products from certain areas in the UK, Russia and the Netherlands.

The decision was announced after a notification was released by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about the outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza.

According to the OIE statement, the H5N8 avian influenza outbreak was identified in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and Samarskaya Oblast in Russia, Groningen, the Netherlands, and Herefordshire, UK.

CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong established a protocol with Russia for the import of poultry meat, which does not include poultry eggs.