China tightens inspections of meat imports, cold chains to allegedly stop coronavirus
Shelly Chen
Published 2020년 11월 7일
With China claiming that coronavirus is being spread through the cold supply chain of frozen food imports, Chinese health authorities have issued a plan to stop the spread.
Starting in June 2020, China has increased its testing of meat and seafood arriving in containers, which they claim are associated with a cluster of coronavirus infections at the Xifadi wholesale market in Beijing. On Nov. 7 2020, a package of imported frozen food was found to have traces of the coronavirus. A port worker who reportedly came in contact with the product also tested positive.
Two days later, a cargo transporter who had been to the frozen warehouse where the new confirmed case occurred tested positive without symptoms. The Chinese health authorities claim at least 10 people have been infected by imported food since June 2020, UDN reported.
In an interview posted by China's National Health Commission, Center for Disease Control Chief Epidemiologist Wu Zunyou cautioned that unlike parasites, bacteria and other microorganisms, the virus can survive in temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius. "The lower [the temperature] is, the longer the virus can survive, and the frozen food supply chain provides an ideal environment for it," Wu commented.
Wu claimed that many confirmed cases were related to handling of imported aquatic products.
In response, China's State Council released a plan on Nov. 9, 2020 in which the health authorities will increase testing on random samples of frozen meat shipments, ports' frozen supply chains, trucks to frozen food storage warehouses, and supply chain workers, who will be subject to a mandatory nucleic acid testing (NAT) on a weekly basis to prevent another outbreak.
Shipments found to contain the virus will be rejected at the border and either destroyed or returned to the supplier.
According to the plan, the cold supply chain must undergo more rigid sanitation and disinfection. This includes retail outlets, which must label food with the country of origin without fail.
In response to China's claim that the coronavirus is spread from imported frozen foods, German virologist Andreas Dotzauer told DW earlier in 2020 that it was unlikely that a case involving a Chinese worker who was infected got it from handling frozen food from the German city of Berman. "It is not impossible, but very unlikely," he said.
Heath experts around the world have been skeptical about China's claims. According to TIME's report, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said there is no evidence to prove the claim, while the World Health Organization said it's not necessary to disinfect food packaging.
Starting in June 2020, China has increased its testing of meat and seafood arriving in containers, which they claim are associated with a cluster of coronavirus infections at the Xifadi wholesale market in Beijing. On Nov. 7 2020, a package of imported frozen food was found to have traces of the coronavirus. A port worker who reportedly came in contact with the product also tested positive.
Two days later, a cargo transporter who had been to the frozen warehouse where the new confirmed case occurred tested positive without symptoms. The Chinese health authorities claim at least 10 people have been infected by imported food since June 2020, UDN reported.
In an interview posted by China's National Health Commission, Center for Disease Control Chief Epidemiologist Wu Zunyou cautioned that unlike parasites, bacteria and other microorganisms, the virus can survive in temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius. "The lower [the temperature] is, the longer the virus can survive, and the frozen food supply chain provides an ideal environment for it," Wu commented.
Wu claimed that many confirmed cases were related to handling of imported aquatic products.
In response, China's State Council released a plan on Nov. 9, 2020 in which the health authorities will increase testing on random samples of frozen meat shipments, ports' frozen supply chains, trucks to frozen food storage warehouses, and supply chain workers, who will be subject to a mandatory nucleic acid testing (NAT) on a weekly basis to prevent another outbreak.
Shipments found to contain the virus will be rejected at the border and either destroyed or returned to the supplier.
According to the plan, the cold supply chain must undergo more rigid sanitation and disinfection. This includes retail outlets, which must label food with the country of origin without fail.
In response to China's claim that the coronavirus is spread from imported frozen foods, German virologist Andreas Dotzauer told DW earlier in 2020 that it was unlikely that a case involving a Chinese worker who was infected got it from handling frozen food from the German city of Berman. "It is not impossible, but very unlikely," he said.
Heath experts around the world have been skeptical about China's claims. According to TIME's report, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said there is no evidence to prove the claim, while the World Health Organization said it's not necessary to disinfect food packaging.
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