Press Releases

Supply of chilled ducks and geese from Mainland discussed

        Mainland and Hong Kong officials met in Beijing earlier this week to discuss issues related to the supply of chilled ducks and geese from the Mainland and reached a common stance.

        A spokesman for the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau (HWFB) said today (August 20) officials from the HWFB and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) had a better understanding of the recent suspension of the supply of chilled ducks and geese after conferring with officials from the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

        Speaking about the meeting with AQSIQ, the spokesman said: "We have had a detailed discussion on issues relating to the supply of chilled ducks and geese to Hong Kong from Guangdong farms.

        "According to the Mainland officials, they were concerned about the safety and quality of the poultry supply to Hong Kong following the regional outbreaks of avian influenza earlier this year, the latest occurrence in Anhui province in July, as well as the resurgence of avian influenza cases recently in Vietnam and Thailand.

        "In order to protect public health, we have all along required that all chilled ducks and geese imported from the Mainland should not contain the virus. But as ducks and geese could be natural carriers of the virus without showing clinical symptoms, and the farms in Guangdong rear the waterfowls in an open environment that usually incurs a higher risk of infection, the Mainland authorities therefore have taken a more prudent attitude to ensure the safety and quality of the waterfowls by temporarily suspending the supply.

        "They will continue with their close surveillance of the waterfowls to assess the safety of rearing ducks and geese in an open environment.  

        "According to the Mainland officials, frozen ducks being supplied to Hong Kong are reared in a closed environment and their safety is ensured by stringent inspections and quarantine measures. The supply has remained stable so far," the spokesman said.

        At the meeting, both sides agreed to vaccinate all ducks and geese that are reared in an open environment in Guangdong and are destined for Hong Kong. Both sides believed that follow-up action should be taken immediately. If vaccination were proved effective and safe, all ducks and geese reared in an open environment and targeted for export to Hong Kong would be vaccinated.

        The meeting, held on Tuesday (August 17), was attended by the Acting Permanent Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Mr Eddy Chan, and the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Gregory Leung.

Ends/Friday, August 20, 2004

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