In response to recent outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), Hong Kong government officials have taken decisive action by temporarily suspending the import of poultry and related products from specific regions in Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The Center for Food Safety (CFS) in Hong Kong announced the suspension, citing confirmation of H5N1 outbreaks in certain areas by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as the primary reason for the precautionary measure. The affected regions include one county in Arkansas, two counties in California, one county in Colorado, one county in Ohio, and one county in Wisconsin, all in the United States.
The suspended imports encompass a significant volume of poultry products, with Hong Kong having imported nearly 21,500 metric tons of chilled and poultry meat, as well as 57 million poultry eggs from U.S. producers during the first nine months of 2023, according to the CFS.
Poland, another affected country, has shipped approximately 2,140 metric tons of frozen poultry meat to Hong Kong. Similarly, U.K. producers have exported about 540 metric tons of chilled and frozen poultry meat, along with approximately 400,000 poultry eggs during the same period, as indicated by a CFS spokesperson in the official announcement.
This strategic move aligns with global efforts to curb the transmission of infectious diseases and underscores Hong Kong’s commitment to safeguarding public health. The CFS is expected to closely monitor the situation, and the import suspension will likely be lifted once authorities are confident that the risk of HPAI transmission has been effectively managed.
