Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Cannot Be Transmitted Through Prepackaged Food

Date: 2020-Feb-24 Source:CHINA FOOD INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIO View: 530

According to the information released by National Health Commission (NHC), World Health Organization (WHO) and authoritative agencies of Europe and the United States, there is no evidence that the Novel Coronavirus may be transmitted through prepackaged food or product packaging, and no cases of infection have been found.

 

The "Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Prevention and Control Plan (Fourth Edition)" issued by the General Office of the NHC states that "the novel coronavirus belongs to the coronavirus belonging to the genus B, the main source of infection is the novel coronavirus infection patients, the main transmission routes are through respiratory droplets and contact." There was no mention of prepackaged food.

 

The Director-General of WHO, after convening an emergency committee, stated to all countries that "the Committee does not recommend the implementation of any travel or trade restrictions based on available information", and the content of the recommendation has not changed.

 

The WHO made it clear that receiving parcels from areas where outbreaks carries no risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

 

In response to how to treat food products imported from China, the EU Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that "there has been no report of transmission of Novel Coronavirus through food, so there is no evidence that importing food from China to the EU that complies with relevant import regulations will pose health risks related to Novel Coronavirus in European citizens. The main mode of transmission is from person to person.

 

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said that the agency is not currently involved in the response to the novel coronavirus because food has not been identified as a possible source or route of transmission of the Novel Coronavirus.

 

In response to a question about whether packages or products shipped from China pose a risk of novel coronavirus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that because the coronavirus does not survive well on surfaces, the risk of transmission of packages or products that have been transported for several days or weeks at ambient temperature is very low.

 

Based on the above information, China Food Industry Association stated that, according to the information released by National Health Commission (NHC), World Health Organization (WHO) and authoritative agencies of Europe and the United States, there is no evidence that the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia may be transmitted through prepackaged food or product packaging, and no cases of infection have been found. Enterprises in production should follow the content of the "Provisional Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia in Industrial Enterprises", and do a good job of protecting workers.