October 28, 2005

UN food agency warns against excessive poultry import bans
 

The UN food agency warned governments Thursday not to introduce blanket bans on poultry imports in response fears about the global spread of bird flu.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said it was worried about general bans that include countries believed to be free of the deadly H5N1 strain, which has decimated poultry stocks and killed at least 62 people in Asia.

The agency said arbitrary bans on poultry imports could leave international global markets exposed to price shocks, increasing uncertainty over the price of meat.

"Trade restrictions to safeguard human and animal health should be imposed only in proportion to the risk involved," the Rome-based agency said in a statement.

It did not name any specific countries that have introduced excessive bans. "We are not singling out countries," FAO spokesman Erwin Northoff said.