Hong Kong bans poultry products from two German states

Ban due to outbreak of low pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in northeastern Germany.

Immediately banned are all poultry and poultry products, including poultry eggs, from Brandenburg and Berlin. The Center for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said the ban was for the protection of Hong Kong's public and animal health.

CFS said the ban resulted from a notification from the World Organization for Animal Health about an outbreak of low pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza northeastern Germany.

Some 10,000 tonnes of frozen and chilled poultry meat and 2.8 million poultry eggs were imported into Hong Kong from Germany last year.

It has banned imports of all poultry and poultry products, including poultry eggs, from another state of Germany, Schleswig-Holstein, since Dec. 22, 2012 due to an outbreak of avian influenza H5.

CFS said it has contacted the German authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on the avian influenza outbreaks in Germany. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation.