HK halts poultry imports from parts of US due to bird flu outbreak

The decision follows a WOAH notification about outbreaks in California and Florida.

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has announced the immediate suspension of poultry meat and egg imports from Merced County, California, and Orange County, Florida, following an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza. 

The decision comes in response to a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about the recent cases in these areas.

A spokesperson for the CFS confirmed that the suspension aims to safeguard public health in Hong Kong. 

According to the Census and Statistics Department, the city imported approximately 40,950 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and 13.86 million poultry eggs from the US in the first half of 2023.

"The CFS has contacted the American authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks,” a CFS spokesperson said. “Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation.”