Food and Food Packaging and Coronavirus Risk
Posted: 2020-09-10
A recent opinion on SARS-CoV-2 and its Relationship to Food Safety from the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods and government guidelines report that evidence does not support the concern that food and/or food packaging presents a risk of catching the coronavirus.
Key Points and Practice Recommendations
- COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that spreads from person to person. It is not a foodborne or food packaging transmitted disease.
- Currently, no evidence supports that food, swallowing food or handling food packaging is a likely source or route of transmission of the virus.
- Coronaviruses are killed by common cleaning and disinfection methods and by cooking food to safe internal temperatures.
- Continue to follow good hand hygiene practices, social distancing and food safety precautions while food shopping and before preparing or eating food.
Country-Specific Food Safety Guidelines
- Canada - Health Canada: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and food safety
- Australia/New Zealand - Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Transmission of COVID-19 by food and food packaging
- Spain - Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition) COVID-19 and FOOD SAFETY. Updating of information. (COVID-19 y SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA. Actualización de información)
- United Kingdom - UK Government: Guidance for consumers on COVID-19 and Food and Guidance for food businesses on COVID-19.
Additional Information on Food, Food Safety and COVID-19
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Food and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- European Commission - COVID-19 and food safety - Questions and Answers
- PEN COVID Knowledge Pathway
- PEN Trending Topic - SARS-CoV-2 Virus Stability and Disinfecting (note: safety precautions remain the same)
- World Health Organization - Q&A: Food Safety and Nutrition related to COVID-19.