Rio de Janeiro, 01 September 2020 (PAHO/WHO) - It is highly unlikely that food or food packaging can transmit COVID-19. Coronaviruses cannot multiply in food because they need an animal or human host to do so. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease primarily transmitted through person-to-person contact and direct contact with droplets expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Although there is no evidence that the viruses that cause respiratory diseases can be transmitted by food or food packaging, these products can become contaminated when handled by people infected with COVID-19 if they do not adopt certain hygiene measures. For this reason, PANAFTOSA-PAHO/WHO recommends to strengthen good hygiene practices throughout the value chain and avoid consuming raw or under-cooked food.
PANAFTOSA-PAHO/WHO, through its Food Safety technical area, has designed a series of infographics with key messages to prevent food and surface contamination by SARS-COV-2 in food industries.
These and other doubts about COVID-19 are clarified by this graphic material elaborated according to the WHO guideline “COVID-19 and food safety: guidance for businesses”.
Material is available here for download.
