Hong Kong bans poultry imports from Britain's Lancashire

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) of Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced Tuesday that it has banned imports of poultry meat and products from Britain's Lancashire county.

The decision was made in view of a notification from British authorities about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H7N7 avian influenza in Lancashire county. The CFS said the ban was of immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said about 18,000 tons of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 7.2 million poultry eggs were imported into Hong Kong from Britain last year.

"The CFS has contacted the UK authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organization for Animal Health on avian influenza outbreaks in the country. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.