Japan Bans Import of French Foie Gras Due to the Bird Flu Outbreak

Japan has stopped imports of French poultry and live birds after the European Commission confirmed birds at a French chicken farm were infected with the H5N1 strain. It has also banned imports of French foie gras due to a bird flu outbreak, revealed an agriculture ministry official. The official said, "The ban, which became effective November 26, 2015, will be lifted 90 days after all affected French poultry farms finish culling their birds and conclude necessary sanitary procedures. We are relying on the French authorities to give us information."

A French industry group said, "For the first eight months of 2015 Japan was the top global importer of foie gras."

France produces 75% of global foie gras and the country exported 4,934 tonnes of it in 2014.

Loic Evain, deputy head of the French agriculture ministry's food division, said, "Algeria, China, Egypt, Japan, Morocco, South Korea, Thailand and Tunisia have banned French poultry imports following the outbreak in November 2015 in the southwestern area of Dordogne. The list is not exhaustive, but does not include France's 27 European Union partners, who have accepted containment measures proposed by Paris under World Health Organization guidelines. Unfortunately some countries' first reaction is to close their borders and only then to discuss strategy."

Source-AFP