Arlington, Virginia, August 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – April to August 2020, the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), in partnership with researchers from North Carolina State University (NC State), conducted a review of clinical literature to perceive the nature of sarS-CoV-2 survival and patience, the virus that causes COVID-19, in food and on surfaces in contact with food and packaging of FabricArray fabrics, and the possibility food transmission. His paintings confirm that there is a slight threat of viral contamination, there is no evidence of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 through food intake or in mixture with food packaging, and no known food-borne cases of COVID-19. This conclusion supports similar statements made through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Lately there is no clinical evidence in the literature to argue that SARS-CoV-2 can spread through food channels,” said Dr. Sanjay Gummalla, AFFI’s senior vice president of scientific affairs. Dr. Lee-Ann Jaykus, Professor Emeritus William Neal Reynolds in the Department of Food, Bioprocesses and Nutrition at NC State, and former Scientific Director of NoroCORE ™ added: “External contamination of food with the virus can only occur through direct exposure to secretions of inflamed people, or if food comes into contact with a surface or hands infected with SARS-CoV-2.
The clinical literature confirms that surface contamination can occur and that SARS-CoV-2 is unlikely to be frozen. The virus can persist at cooling temperature and room temperature for a few hours to a few days, depending on environmental situations and the condition of the virus (aerosol or deposited on the surface), among other factors. 1, 2
However, Dr. Gummalla reiterates: “It is very unlikely that the virus can be transmitted through ingestion or contact with frozen foods. For this to happen, a user would have to consume food infected with viral particles, then the virus would have to succeed on airlines and the infection would only occur if an amount equivalent to the infectious dose came into contact with the correct cells. to initiate a viral infection. Alternatively, a user cares for infected food with their hands and then moves the virus through touching the nasal domain or eyes, and the infection would only occur if a sufficient amount of virus entered the individual’s airlines. Frankly, all the stars line up to make a number of occasions happen.
Compared to recent SARS CoV-2 detection reports in certain protein-rich foods or food packaging materials3, it is vital to note that there are no clinically verified protocols for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in these sample types. This is critical because the strategies used are unlikely to distinguish between viruses that can cause infections and infectious virus residues. “While there have been media reports on positive samples, it is not transparent which strategies or decisions to engage food are based on the most productive science available,” said Dr. Ben Chapman, professor and food protection extension specialist at North Carolina State University. Dr. Jaykus concluded: “Lately we rely on unfounded reports to involve food in the transmission of SARS CoV-2. The foreign clinical network will need to be combined to ensure that all long-term implications are based on a universally accepted counterfeit science to make threat control decisions.”
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The American Institute of Frozen Foods (AFFI) is the national industry agreement run through its members that advocates for all segments of the frozen food and beverage industry. AFFI works to promote food protection and advocates legislative and regulatory bodies on behalf of industry to create an environment in which members’ food and beverages are proudly selected to satisfy the desires of a changing world.
1https: //www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701 (20) 30046-3 / pdf Kampf et al., Journal of Hospital Infections. 2020 v. 104, p. 246-251
2https: //www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc2004973; van Doremalen, et al., Aerosol and surface stability of HCoV-19 (SARS-CoV-2) compared to SARS-CoV-1. medRxiv 2020
3https: //www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-food/chinese-cities-find-coronavirus-in-frozen-food-imports-who-downplays-infection-risk-idUSKCN259330
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