February 27, 2006

Japan halts French poultry imports over bird flu

Japan temporarily suspended imports of poultry from France including meat and internal organs following the outbreak of bird flu in France, a news report said Friday Feb 24.

Imports of such delicacies as fois gras, livers of geese and ducks used in French cuisine, were halted, Kyodo News agency reported, citing Japan's Agricultural Ministry.

The French government confirmed Saturday that the H5N1 bird flu virus struck a turkey farm, the EU's first outbreak of the lethal strain in commercial poultry.

The confirmation came from the farming ministry. The turkey farm, in southeast France's Ain region, has been sealed off and surviving birds slaughtered.

French poultry sector generated in 2004 more than US$3.59 billion in revenues, or more than 20 percent of total EU production.

In 2005, Japan imported 1,510 tonnes of duck and other poultry meat and 377 tonnes of internal organs including foie gras from the country, Kyodo said.