Hong Kong suspends import of poultry products from Denmark

Hong Kong, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The food safety authority of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) announced Monday to suspend the import of poultry products from Denmark's southern Middelfart Municipality.

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) of the Hong Kong SAR government's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said in view of a notification from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of low pathogenic H7 avian influenza in Middelfart Municipality, it has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products, including poultry eggs, from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said Hong Kong imported about 1,340 tons of frozen poultry meat and about 1.56 million poultry eggs from Denmark last year.

"The CFS has contacted the Danish authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.