Beijing Orders Importers To Avoid Frozen Food From Countries With Major Coronavirus Outbreaks

In accordance with a statement from the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, “customs and native governments have repeatedly detected the coronavirus in imported chilly chain meals, proving it dangers contamination.”

The bureau urged importers to carefully monitor the pandemic state of affairs all over the world and “take the initiative to keep away from importing chilly chain meals from areas severely hit by the pandemic.” Corporations are additionally instructed to enhance their warnings and reporting mechanisms, and to tell authorities rapidly if merchandise check optimistic.

Well being authorities, together with the World Well being Group (WHO) and the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), have stated the possibility of catching the coronavirus through food is low, however China, which has largely stamped out home transmission of the virus, is on excessive alert for attainable re-contamination.

Final month, a batch of frozen rooster wings imported from Brazil tested positive for coronavirus in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, one in all a number of incidents wherein the virus had been detected on meals merchandise.

These incidents sparked elevated screening of imported meals nationwide, and heightened scrutiny of merchandise coming from locations badly tormented by the pandemic, similar to Brazil.

As of September 7, China had suspended imports from dozens of meals firms throughout at the very least 19 nations and areas the place employees have been contaminated with coronavirus, based on state media.

Final week, China’s Basic Administration of Customs announced “emergency precautionary measures” towards a Norwegian firm after a frozen seafood package deal examined optimistic for the virus.

On Saturday, customs officers stated that samples taken from the outer packaging of imported Russian aquatic merchandise in Shandong province examined optimistic for coronavirus, whereas on Friday China Customs stated the interior packaging of a batch of frozen fish from Brazil additionally examined optimistic for the virus.

China’s Nationwide Well being Fee said Monday there had been no new regionally transmitted virus circumstances prior to now 24 hours, or any new deaths related to the pandemic.

According to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, there have been 90,483 confirmed circumstances of coronavirus in China and 4,739 deaths. The overwhelming majority of circumstances have been detected within the early levels of the pandemic, with the variety of new infections under 500 since early March.

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