Hong Kong halts Kyoto poultry imports following avian influenza outbreak

Hong Kong food safety authorities have instructed the local trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and related products, including poultry eggs, from Kyoto Prefecture in Japan with immediate effect on Friday.

The precautionary import ban was triggered by an official notification from Japanese agricultural authorities reporting an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in the prefecture, aimed at safeguarding public health across the territory.

Trade alerted as surveillance on Japanese poultry intensified

The Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department confirmed that the measure applies to all poultry meat and poultry egg consignments originating from Kyoto Prefecture. 

A spokesman for the food safety watchdog explained that import controls were enacted swiftly following an alert from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan regarding the disease occurrence in the region.

The spokesman added that the center had already established direct communication with Japanese authorities regarding the outbreak and would maintain close contact as veterinary containment measures proceed. 

In addition, local officials will monitor ongoing epidemic updates and surveillance data published by the World Organisation for Animal Health alongside Japanese veterinary agencies, noting that the government will implement further regulatory responses should the epidemiological situation warrant.

Heavy reliance on Japanese poultry imports underscored by trade data

Trade figures compiled by the Census and Statistics Department reflect steady local demand for Japanese poultry supplies, with Hong Kong importing approximately 1,030 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and roughly 249.94 million poultry eggs from Japan during the first 9 months of this year.

Food safety authorities stressed that standard import inspection protocols remain strictly enforced at border control points to ensure that only compliant and disease-free consignments reach local consumers, advising poultry importers and catering operators to monitor sourcing origins closely during the suspension.

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