Import of poultry meat and products from areas in France, Korea and Japan suspended

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 17) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in areas in France and Korea, and an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Hyogo Prefecture in Japan respectively, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the relevant areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

The relevant areas are as follows:

France
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(1) Finistère Department
(2) Landes Department

Korea
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Gyeonggi-do Province
(3) Pyeongtaek-si
(4) Hwaseong-si

Chungcheongbuk-do Province
(5) Yeongdong-gun

Japan
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(6) Hyogo Prefecture

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, in the first nine months of this year, Hong Kong imported about 830 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 50 000 poultry eggs from France; about 350 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 26.14 million poultry eggs from Korea; and about 1 540 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 219.73 million poultry eggs from Japan.

"The CFS has contacted the French, Korean and Japanese 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.

Ends/Wednesday, December 17, 2025