US – The Conversation: When the COVID-19 pandemic began, not much was known about SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus) and its survival in food, on various materials and on surfaces. Since then, several food safety agencies have assessed the risk of potentially acquiring the virus from contaminated food or food packaging. The consensus is that currently, there’s no evidence it’s a food safety risk. MoreRead Article →
Fresh produce safety and COVID-19 positive workers in processing facilities: key points for industry
The ARC Training Centre for Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry has released information on fresh produce safety and COVID-19 positive workers in processing facilities. Key points are:
COVID-19 is unlikely to be passed on through fresh produceThere is a low risk of contracting COVID-19 from fresh produce if handled by a worker who is confirmed positive for COVID-19Immediately notify the health department if a worker in the facility tests positive for COVID-19Increase contact time and/or concentration of disinfectants on surfaces in the processing environment
For further information, visit the ARC Training Centre’s website here.
Additional resources:For additional information, visit these following sites: Australian Department of Health: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/collections/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-resourcesFreshcare: Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources: https://www.freshcare.com.au/resources/novel-coronavirus-covid-19/Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University: The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Food Industry Resources and FAQs: https://instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/frequently-asked-questions/New Zealand Food Safety Science Research Centre: https://www.nzfssrc.org.nz/node/154NZ MPI: Coronavirus and Food Safety on COVID-19: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/protection-and-response/responding/alerts/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-food-safety/Read Article →