September 2, 2020 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in partnership with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has released a food safety checklist for human and animal food operations to heed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The checklist is meant to be used as an assessment tool as pandemic conditions persist, and can be especially pertinent for operations re-starting after a recent shutdown.
August 25, 2020 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused only 37 seafood entry lines in July, continuing a trend where federal officials were rejecting a historically low number of products.
According to the Southern Shrimp Alliance, that amount is by far a record low for the month. It’s only 21.3 percent of this historical average the alliance has tracked since 2002. It’s also significantly lower than the previous record low of 91 entry lines, which occurred last year.
July 15, 2020 — The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new food safety guidelines include utilizing technology to enhance traceability, responding more quickly to outbreaks, and other factors affecting the seafood industry.
This New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint represents a “new approach to food safety, leveraging technology and other tools to create a safer and more digital, traceable food system,” the agency said on its website.
July 14, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:
Yesterday’s announcement of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint demonstrates how the agency plans to rapidly evolve its regulatory approach in an age of unprecedented technological advancement.
Forecasting unique demands on the future value chain will help FDA identify and whenever possible neutralize challenges. In just the past few months, the seafood market has changed and the seafood community and FDA have worked to keep our food supply safe with a rigorous yet flexible approach.
We are pleased to see the Trump Administration embracing a food safety framework for the future that is both smart and safe.
June 25, 2020 — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday, 24 June, published guidelines to safeguard seafood processing workers from contracting COVID-19.
The CDC and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said it developed the plan with help from the Food and Drug Administration.
June 17, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:
On 13 June, Chinese media began reporting on the closure of the Xinfadi food markets in Beijing due the presence of COVID-19.
Do not be misled by sensational reports. The facts are clear. And these are the facts about food according to academic experts and global public health officials and agencies:
Former Commissioner of US Food and Drug Administration states: “The idea it hitched a ride on fish is highly implausible. I mean it is absurd. I can’t see any plausible scenario where this virus rode in on a salmon.”
The World Health Organization states: “As food has not been implicated in the transmission of COVID-19, testing of food or food surfaces for this virus is not recommended.”
The Codex Alimentarius states: “COVID-19 is a respiratory illness primarily transmitted through person-to-person contact and direct contact with respiratory droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes. There is no evidence to date of viruses that cause respiratory illnesses being transmitted via food or food packaging. Coronaviruses cannot multiply in food; they need an animal or human host to multiply. It is highly unlikely that people can contract COVID-19 from food or food packaging.”
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations states: “Despite the hypothesis that the virus may have originated in bats and infected another animal used for food, there is no evidence of continued transmission of the virus from animals to humans through the food chain.”
The US Food and Drug Administration states: “…. there is no evidence that food or food packaging have been associated with transmission (of COVID-19) and no reason to be concerned.”
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states: “In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging..”
Canadian Food Inspection Agency states: “Scientists and food safety authorities around the world are closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19. There are currently no reported cases of COVID-19 being spread through food.”
The Norwegian Food Safety Agency states: “There are no known cases of infection via contaminated food, imported food or water. Therefore, fish and seafood products from Norway are safe to eat” and “Currently there are no known cases of infection via contaminated food, imported food or water. Based on current knowledge of coronaviruses, infection via food and water is considered unlikely.”
The European Food Safety Authority states: “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.”
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment states: “There are currently no cases which have shown evidence of humans being infected with the new type of coronavirus via the consumption of contaminated food. There is also currently no reliable evidence of transmission of the virus via contact with contaminated objects or contaminated surfaces, which would have led to subsequent human infections.”
The Chilean National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service states: “There is no evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can infect aquatic animals and, therefore, these animals do not play an epidemiological role in spreading COVID-19 to humans.”
University College London researchers state: “SARS-CoV-2 can infect a broad range of mammals, but few fish, birds or reptiles” and that “most [fish] have no susceptibility to infection.”
Asian Fisheries Science journal states: “Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can infect aquatic food animals (e.g. finfish, crustaceans, molluscs, amphibians) and therefore these animals do not play an epidemiological role in spreading COVID-19 to humans.” (authors include 16 global public health researchers)
North Carolina State University researcher states: “In fact, we don’t see evidence of any respiratory viruses being transmitted through food in the past.” (COVID-19 is a respiratory virus) and “‘The good news with this particular virus is that it is not a foodborne virus. Most of the food that we eat, ends up getting right into our gut and ends up encountering a whole bunch of acid in our stomachs. And this virus particularly doesn’t really remain infectious once it hits the stomach.”
For more information about what global public health professionals say about seafood and COVID, visitCOVID-19 & Seafood website.
June 1, 2020 — For the fifth time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is allowing flexibility in food labeling.
In the agency’s new guidance, the FDA said that food manufacturers making minor formulation and ingredient changes to their products due to scarcity of ingredients related to COVID-19 do not have to make corresponding changes to their labeling.
May 20, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:
The National Fisheries Institute is pleased to see the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Agriculture Department (USDA) working together to ensure continued food safety during the COVID19 pandemic.
Recognizing that the FDA draws its jurisdiction from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the USDA regulates via the Federal Meat Inspection Act, it is more important than ever to have these vital agencies communicating and collaborating. While seafood remains available at grocers and restaurants, we thank the Administration for planning ahead.
NFI members are taking the needed steps to keep our essential workers safe and continuing to provide consumers with healthy seafood. This memorandum of understanding will benefit frontline food safety and help avoid interruptions that might unnecessarily disrupt seafood production.
March 24, 2020 — A coalition of restaurants across the United States is urging consumers to sustain the foodservice industry during the COVID-19 pandemic by taking part in “The Great American Takeout” on Tuesday, 24 March.
Separately, many seafood restaurants have also taken to social media with innovative campaigns and efforts designed to encourage Americans to order take-bout or delivery from them.
March 18, 2020 — The following was released by the Food and Drug Administration:
Q: Is the U.S. food supply safe?
Currently there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19.
Unlike foodborne gastrointestinal (GI) viruses like norovirus and hepatitis A that often make people ill through contaminated food, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is a virus that causes respiratory illness. Foodborne exposure to this virus is not known to be a route of transmission.
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. This includes between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet), and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. 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 mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. However, it’s always critical to follow the 4 key steps of food safety—clean, separate, cook, and chill – to prevent foodborne illness.
Q: Will there be food shortages?
There are no nationwide shortages of food, although in some cases the inventory of certain foods at your grocery store might be temporarily low before stores can restock. Food production and manufacturing are widely dispersed throughout the United States and no widespread disruptions have been reported in the supply chain.
FDA is closely monitoring the food supply chain for any shortages in collaboration with industry and our federal and state partners. We are in regular contact with food manufacturers and grocery stores.
Q: Where should the food industry go for guidance about business operations?
Food facilities, like other work establishments, need to follow protocols set by local and state health departments, which may vary depending on the amount of community spread of COVID-19 in a particular area. We encourage coordination with local health officials for all businesses so that timely and accurate information can guide appropriate responses in each location where they have operations.
Q: A worker in my food processing facility/farm has tested positive for COVID-19. What steps do I need to take to ensure that the foods I produce are safe?
Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread from person-to-person through respiratory droplets. Currently, there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 by food. Unlike foodborne gastrointestinal (GI) viruses like norovirus and hepatitis A that often make people ill through contaminated food, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is a virus that causes respiratory illness. Foodborne exposure to this virus is not known to be a route of transmission.
If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace but maintain confidentiality. Sick employees should follow the CDC’s What to do if you are sick with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Employers should consult with the local health department for additional guidance.
While the primary responsibility in this instance is to take appropriate actions to protect other workers and people who might have come in contact with the ill employee, facilities should re-double their cleaning and sanitation efforts to control any risks that might be associated with workers who are ill regardless of the type of virus or bacteria. For example, facilities are required to maintain clean and sanitized facilities and food contact surfaces.
See: FSMA Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food.
Q: Do I need to recall food products produced in the facility during the time that the worker was potentially shedding virus while working?
We do not anticipate that food products would need to be recalled or be withdrawn from the market because of COVID-19, as there is currently no evidence to support the transmission of COVID-19 associated with food or food packaging.
Additionally, facilities are required to control any risks that might be associated with workers who are ill regardless of the type of virus or bacteria. For example, facilities are required to maintain clean and sanitized facilities and food contact surfaces.
Q: If a worker in my food processing facility/farm has tested positive for COVID-19, Should I close the facility? If so, for how long?
Food facilities need to follow protocols set by local and state health departments, which may vary depending on the amount of community spread of COVID-19 in a given area. These decisions will be based on public health risk of person-to-person transmission – not based on food safety.