As we have reiterated in several news items published on our website, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has communicated that there is currently no evidence that food is a source or likely route of transmission of coronavirus, and is closely monitoring the situation.
Enrico Frabetti, Director of Food Policy, Nutrition and Health at the Spanish Federation of Food and Drink Industries (FIAB) confirms: No scientific institution at international level has confirmed that this virus is linked to food. Nevertheless, companies in the sector are stepping up their hygiene measures. They already had very high safety levels, but they are incorporating special protocols to guarantee the health of workers, and to ensure the supply of the population, as its interruption could be a very serious problem for the company itself, as well as for society as a whole". In this sense, we can refer to the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for workers in the food sector.
With regard to the question of whether it is necessary to apply analytical methods to detect the presence of coronavirus on surfaces and/or packaging, the FIAB technician explains that this is not currently a question that has been raised with their associates, since, as he indicated, it is not a virus that is transmitted by food, so in this sense, consumer safety is completely guaranteed. Furthermore, Enrico Frabetti points out that the production of certain foods is carried out in white chambers that are totally aseptic, so the virus cannot survive in them.
That said, what is essential to reduce contagion is to take extreme personal hygiene measures for all those involved in the various links of the agri-food chain, right up to the consumer. These are the well-known measures, such as keeping your distance and washing your hands frequently.
Once we reach the consumer, it is key to adopt these same personal hygiene measures, which can be found in the Ministry of Health's recommendations for shopping. "A frequent doubt is whether it is necessary to clean the products that have been bought, and this can entail risks: if, for example, you decide to clean a product packaged in a porous material with bleach, this poses a health risk," warns Enrico Frabetti. "I reiterate that we must follow the official recommendations, supported by the scientific evidence available so far," says the expert.
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Source: revistaalimentaria.es
Image: A team disinfecting the Qintai Grand Theatre in Wuhan, China, in January.Credit: Xia Junjun/VCG/Getty"