Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced yesterday the immediate suspension of poultry products from Highland in Scotland. The suspension is due an announcement from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza.

Hong Kong authorities said the suspension was issued in order to protect public health in Hong Kong. 

A CFS spokesperson said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 400 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 180,000 poultry eggs from the UK in the first six months of this year.

​"The CFS has contacted the British authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesperson said.