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Japan is suspending imports from French poultry suppliers following an outbreak of bird flu at a duck farm, a report said Wednesday.
The ban, which includes imports of foie gras, will last at least 90 days, the Kyodo news agency said, citing the Japanese Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry.
The ministry was quoted in the report as saying it had imposed the suspension to prevent avian influenza from spreading to Japan, but Kyodo gave no details of the outbreak.
Officials told the agency there was no risk of human infection, even if people eat chicken from France, as the flu virus is "weak''.
Tokyo cemented its status as the "world capital of gastronomy'' by overtaking Paris on Tuesday as the city with the most Michelin three-star restaurants. Japan imports 60 per cent of its foie gras from France.
The world's second-largest economy in June lifted a month-old ban on raw foie gras and poultry from France, imposed after an outbreak of bird flu there earlier in the year.
Tokyo suspended imports of French chicks and poultry meat in February after French officials informed Japan of an outbreak of H5N1 at a duck farm in France's western Vendee province, causing alarm among French chefs in Tokyo.
But the suspension, which did not affect canned foie gras, was lifted in May.
Japan bought 404 tonnes of uncooked foie gras in 2008, according to the farm industry.
Foie gras, literally "fatty liver,'' is typically made by inserting metal pipes down the throats of geese and ducks to force feed them so their livers expand.
Animal rights activists have increasingly lobbied to ban the delicacy.
Japan barred French poultry imports for several months in 2006 after an outbreak of H5N1 among wild ducks in France.
The ban, which includes imports of foie gras, will last at least 90 days, the Kyodo news agency said, citing the Japanese Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry.
The ministry was quoted in the report as saying it had imposed the suspension to prevent avian influenza from spreading to Japan, but Kyodo gave no details of the outbreak.
Officials told the agency there was no risk of human infection, even if people eat chicken from France, as the flu virus is "weak''.
Tokyo cemented its status as the "world capital of gastronomy'' by overtaking Paris on Tuesday as the city with the most Michelin three-star restaurants. Japan imports 60 per cent of its foie gras from France.
The world's second-largest economy in June lifted a month-old ban on raw foie gras and poultry from France, imposed after an outbreak of bird flu there earlier in the year.
Tokyo suspended imports of French chicks and poultry meat in February after French officials informed Japan of an outbreak of H5N1 at a duck farm in France's western Vendee province, causing alarm among French chefs in Tokyo.
But the suspension, which did not affect canned foie gras, was lifted in May.
Japan bought 404 tonnes of uncooked foie gras in 2008, according to the farm industry.
Foie gras, literally "fatty liver,'' is typically made by inserting metal pipes down the throats of geese and ducks to force feed them so their livers expand.
Animal rights activists have increasingly lobbied to ban the delicacy.
Japan barred French poultry imports for several months in 2006 after an outbreak of H5N1 among wild ducks in France.
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