FACTBOX-Flu triggers pig and pork import bans worldwide

May 4 (Reuters) - Twenty countries have banned imports of pigs, pork and other meat in response to the H1N1 flu strain that has infected both people and swine, according to the World Health Organisation.

Following is a list of the bans, as well as the measures taken by countries that have not blocked imports in response to the outbreak, which health and trade officials say is not food-borne and does not pose a danger to meat consumers:



RUSSIA

-- Pork banned from Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador.

-- All meat and meat products banned from Mexico and the U.S. states of California, Texas, and Kansas.

CHINA

-- Live pigs and pork products banned from Mexico and the U.S. states of California, Texas and Kansas.

SERBIA 

-- Pigs and pork banned from Mexico and the United States.

THAILAND

-- Live pigs banned from Mexico and the United States.

JORDAN 

-- All meat banned from countries with confirmed H1N1 cases.

PHILIPPINES

-- Pigs and pork products banned from Mexico and the United States.

UKRAINE

-- Pork banned from Mexico and the U.S. states of California, Texas and Kansas. 

INDONESIA

-- Pork banned. No details given, unclear if only from Mexico and the United States or from around the world.

LEBANON

-- Pigs and pork banned from affected countries. Measure orders destruction of cargo en route from affected countries, the closure of domestic pig farms, the prohibition of pig slaughter and the blood testing for all pigs.

AZERBAIJAN

-- Livestock products banned from North America.

BAHRAIN

-- Pork products banned from Mexico, the United States and any country with reported H1N1 cases.

CROATIA

-- Pork banned from North America, plus any country with confirmed cases.

ECUADOR

-- Pork banned from Mexico and the United States.

KAZAKHSTAN

-- Pork banned from Mexico and the United States.

MACEDONIA

-- Pork banned from North America and countries with confirmed cases.

MONTENEGRO 

-- Pork banned from North America and countries with confirmed cases.

SURINAM

-- Animals, raw pork and semen imports banned (no further details given)

SWITZERLAND

-- Pork from Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and United States

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

-- Pork banned for both import and sale (no details given)

BELARUS

-- Meat banned from seven countries (not specified)

-- Cattle, poultry and feed banned from Canada, Mexico, the United States, New Zealand, Spain, France, and Israel.

SOUTH KOREA

-- No ban imposed. Increased number of flu virus checks on pork products from Mexico and the United States.

EUROPEAN UNION

-- No ban imposed and no change to import policy, given "flu has nothing to do with food chain".

JAPAN

-- No ban imposed. Checks of live pig imports for infection. No checks on imported pork "as no risk when cooked".

KOSOVO

-- No ban imposed. Increased import monitoring (no details). (For related story, please see: [L4584168]) (For more Reuters swine flu coverage, please click here:here )

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Source