November 26, 2004

Thailand's Cooked Chicken Imports Not Barred in the EU

The European Union (EU) has no plans to ban cooked chicken products from Thailand due to bird flu, according to the head of the EU delegation in Thailand Klauspeter Schmallenbach.

"The EU has consistently stated that cooked poultry meat products pose no animal or human health risk. There has never been any restriction on such exports entering the EU market and there are no plans to introduce any," Ambassador Schmallenbach said.

The ambassador was responding to reports in the Thai press that the EU would decide soon on whether to ban Thai cooked chicken.

In January, the EU placed a temporary ban on the export of all fresh poultry meat products from Thailand and other countries in the region affected by bird flu. However no restriction was placed on cooked products as it has been scientifically proven that the virus is destroyed when meat is subject to temperatures higher than 70 degrees Celsius.

"The European Union took a proportionate response to the situation. I am confident that this helped convince other key export partners for Thailand that cooked poultry products posed no risk and to keep their markets open accordingly," Ambassador Schmallenbach said.

Thai exports to the EU were worth almost Bt468 billion in 2003. Over the last five years the Thai trade surplus with the EU has been in the region of Bt190 billion annually.

The EU is one of Thailand's three biggest export markets for agricultural products. In 2003 exports of Thai cooked chicken products to the EU totalled Bt8.2 billion.

Leading Thai chicken exporters commented that there has been a misunderstanding between government agencies. EU officials, who were previously scheduled to inspect manufacturing plants in Thailand, have postponed their trip from next month till early next year.

In order to avoid export risk, major chicken exporters have shifted from fresh to cooked products since the bird-flu outbreak emerged early this year. New manufacturing plants that started operating here late last year have focused on 100-per-cent finished products.

The value of Thai chicken exports is expected to drop 52 per cent to Bt22.5 billion, according to the Thai Broiler Processing Exporters group.