HONG KONG - The food safety authority of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) decided on Thursday to suspend import of poultry products from northern Dutch province of Groningen.

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) of the HKSAR government's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said the decision was made in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza in Groningen, Netherlands.

The CFS has instructed to suspend the import of poultry meat and products, including poultry eggs, from the province with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong imported about 4,900 tons of frozen poultry meat and 1.8 million poultry eggs from the Netherlands last year.

"The CFS has contacted the Dutch authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.