Hong Kong suspends poultry products import from areas in Norway, Britain

HONG KONG, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's food safety authority decided on Thursday to suspend the import of poultry meat and products from Rogaland County in Norway and the Scottish Borders of Scotland in Britain due to avian influenza outbreaks in these regions.

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products, including poultry eggs, from these areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesperson said the decision followed notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in these areas.

The CFS has contacted the Norwegian and British authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak, the spokesperson said.