Source: https://seafoodsafetycovid19.wordpress.com/
Seafood is a vital part of a healthy diet and remains a safe, smart choice at grocery stores and restaurants. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 2-3 servings of seafood per week. Do not stop eating seafood.
Frequently Asked Questions:
At a time like this, it’s more important than ever to listen to public health professionals, from the U.S. and around the world. Here’s what they have to say about seafood and coronavirus.
1. Can I get coronavirus from seafood?
FDA: “Again, we want to reassure the public that at this time there is no evidence that food or food packaging have been associated with transmission and no reason to be concerned.”
Stephen M. Hahn M.D.
Commissioner of Food and Drugs
Food and Drug Administration
The European Food Safety Authority’s chief scientist, Marta Hugas, said: “Experiences from previous outbreaks of related coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), show that transmission through food consumption did not occur. At the moment, there is no evidence to suggest that coronavirus is any different in this respect.”
German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment: “There are currently no cases which have shown any evidence of humans being infected with the new type of coronavirus by another method, such as via the consumption of contaminated food or via imported toys.”
2. Should I avoid seafood products from China?
FDA: “There is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods, including food and drugs for humans and pets, and there have not been any cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. associated with imported goods.”
WHO: “The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.”
CDC: “In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets.”
3. Is coronavirus in seafood products?
There is no evidence coronavirus can spread through any food products.
“Benjamin Chapman, a professor and food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University, explained that because the mode of infection is primarily respiratory, the chance of getting COVID-19 from food is extremely low. ‘In fact, we don’t see evidence of any respiratory viruses being transmitted through food in the past,’ he said.”
4. Did eating seafood start the coronavirus epidemic?
No. The CDC believes the origin of the virus is from (live) animal-to-person spread. Many foods were present at the live animal market believed to be at the epicenter of the first outbreak, but it is not suggested that eating products from that market caused the spread.
CDC: “Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some cause illness in people, and others, such as canine and feline coronaviruses, only infect animals. Rarely, animal coronaviruses that infect animals have emerged to infect people and can spread between people. This is suspected to have occurred for the virus that causes COVID-19. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) are two other examples of coronaviruses that originated from animals and then spread to people.”
CDC: “Early on, many of the patients at the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. Later, a growing number of patients reportedly did not have exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread. Person-to-person spread was subsequently reported outside Hubei and in countries outside China, including in the United States.”
5. Is the government still inspecting seafood facilities overseas?
Seafood companies in the U.S. and globally adhere to the same strict food safety regulations. While FDA has suspended overseas inspection through 30 April, seafood from all sources will remain safe. FDA continues to screen and monitor shipments as they enter the United States. As of 12 March, there is no indication that FDA will reduce “mission essential” border inspections.
FDA: “When we are temporarily not able to physically inspect foreign produced FDA-regulated products or manufacturers, as an interim measure we employ additional tools to ensure the safety of products imported to the U.S., which have proved effective in the past. These include denying entry of unsafe products into the U.S., physical examinations and/or product sampling at our borders, reviewing a firm’s previous compliance history, using information sharing from foreign governments as part of mutual recognition…”
6. Can I get coronavirus from touching cold or frozen seafood packaging?
FDA: “Again, we want to reassure the public that at this time there is no evidence that food or food packaging have been associated with transmission and no reason to be concerned.”
7. If an infected consumer picks up a package of seafood and puts it back, is the next person to touch it likely to get coronavirus?
CDC: “It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”
WHO: “You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.”
8. Does cooking food to a certain heat kill coronavirus?
Food Safety Authority of Ireland: “Coronaviruses need a host (animal or human) to grow in and cannot grow in food. Thorough cooking is expected to kill the virus because we know that a heat treatment of at least 30min at 60ºC (140ºF) is effective with SARS.”
CDC: “Ensure good food safety practices at all times. Handle raw meat, milk or animal organs with care to avoid contamination of uncooked foods and avoid consuming raw or undercooked animal products.”
German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment: “Although it is unlikely that the virus will be transmitted via contaminated food or imported products, general everyday hygiene rules, such as regular hand washing, and hygiene rules for food preparation should be observed when handling them. As the viruses are sensitive to heat, the risk of infection can also be further reduced by heating foods.”
9. Are certain species or types of seafood more risky than others?
No food products, including seafood, are considered a risk of the spread of coronavirus. If you’re concerned, cooking seafood products is an additional safety option.
FDA: “Again, we want to reassure the public that at this time there is no evidence that food or food packaging have been associated with transmission and no reason to be concerned.”
10. Is it safe to dine at seafood restaurants?
Yes. The food service industry follows strict local public health guidelines. To meet these guidelines, restaurants have safety protocols and best practices in place. These protocols are meticulously followed and strengthened in response to coronavirus.
“Public health experts say restaurants are just as safe — and perhaps even safer — than other public spaces, such as buses, subways and event venues, where people are packed closer together than the three-foot buffer recommended by the World Health Organization between you and a coughing or sneezing person.”
“Owners and operators across the United States, from corporations such as McDonald’s to your local pizzeria, are hyper-aware of customer concerns… So they’re trying to get ahead of the fears by implementing new procedures and tightening up current ones.”
NRA: “…diners should take comfort in the fact that restaurants have been meeting food safety and sanitation standards for decades, so they already have protocols in place.”
FMI: “Food establishments should ensure that they have strong food safety programs in place and ensure employees are washing hands properly, practicing good personal hygiene, avoiding bare hand contact, cooking food to the proper temperature, and are following cleaning and sanitation procedures.”
HR Compliance Bulletin: “Employers are obligated to maintain a safe and healthy work environment for their employees, but are also subject to a number of legal requirements protecting workers. For example, employers must comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in their approach to dealing with COVID-19.”