Beijing tells importers to avoid frozen food from Covid-19 blackspots
But WHO says it is highly unlikely that people can contract the virus from food or food packaging.
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Beijing has told frozen food importing companies to avoid purchasing pre-packaged foodstuff from countries that are Covid-19 blackspots.
“Customs and local authorities across the country have repeatedly detected coronavirus on imported frozen foods,” said the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau.
The bureau maintains this proves that imported cold chain foods are at risk of contamination.
On Saturday, China Customs said that samples taken from the outer packaging of imported Russian aquatic products had tested positive for coronavirus.
A day earlier, they announced that the inner packaging of a batch of frozen fish from Brazil had also tested positive for the virus.
China this month suspended imports from seafood producers in Brazil, Indonesia and Russia out of concerns over contamination.
The World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Programme has said, “People should not fear food or food packaging or the processing or delivery of food. It is highly unlikely that people can contract Covid-19 from food or food packaging.”
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of infection by the virus from food products, food packaging, or bags is “thought to be very low”.
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