Fresh poultry meat sales will resume in Macau this Friday, marking a return after the temporary halt initiated in 2017 to prevent the spread of bird flu. The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) has coordinated with Guangdong for efficient customs clearance and quarantine processes, ensuring live poultry reaches Macau within 1.5 hours of leaving the factory from Feb. 2. The IAM has guaranteed that the poultry sold in the local market will meet food safety and hygiene standards, with clear labeling of slaughter dates to ensure consumer safety.
In response to this reintroduction, the government will continue to conduct random health inspections and sample testing at retail fresh food establishments. Nam Kwong Group, the live poultry supplier, will deliver the first batch of 1,800 fresh chickens. While Macau currently receives about 15,600 frozen chickens daily, the authorities will monitor the market's response to the reintroduction of fresh chickens and adjust supplies as needed. Gongbei Customs noted a 20-30% increase in Macau's demand for fresh food from the mainland during the recent Spring Festival.
The original suspension of the live poultry trade in Macau dates back to January 2017, following the detection of the H7 strain of bird flu in a chicken sample imported from the mainland. This led to a temporary closure of poultry markets and the implementation of strict sterilization procedures, eventually resulting in the permanent cessation of live poultry imports due to bird flu concerns. Since 2017, Macau has adopted a “human-poultry segregation” approach, replacing live poultry with refrigerated poultry. To support the fresh poultry reintroduction, the IAM has developed “Hygienic Guidelines on Retail Sale of Fresh Chickens,” outlining standards for transportation, storage, display, and sale, and has committed to regular health inspections and testing of retail establishments selling fresh and live food.
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