May 6, 2015

Sales of live poultry restricted in Shenzhen from July 1

The Food Safety Committee had recently held a meeting in Shenzhen to summarise last year's food safety supervision work, and makes plans for the implementation of a centralised poultry slaughtering operation, and refrigerated delivery to ensure freshness in designated zones starting from July 1 this year.

Studies have shown that live poultry is a direct source of H7N9 infection in humans, hence effective measures have to be taken to ensure that the avian influenza is under control, and closing live poultry markets is one such necessary measure.

As such, starting from July 1, sales and slaughtering of live poultry will only be allowed in designated new areas in Shenzhen that are not subjected to the sale ban. Live poultry sellers have been encouraged by the city government to switch to selling chilled fresh-slaughtered poultry instead. This will be a permanent arrangement in the province.