There is no evidence that food packaging was ever implicated in transmission of the Covid 19 virus, U.S. and international authorities have declared.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to hold there is no credible evidence of food or food packaging associated with or as a likely source of viral transmission.
“Based on the scientific information that continues to be made available over the course of the pandemic, the USDA and FDA continue to be confident in the safety of the food available to American consumers and exported to international customers,” the government agencies declared.
“Given that the number of virus particles that could be theoretically picked up by touching a surface would be very small and the amount needed for infection via oral inhalation would be very high, the chances of infection by touching the surface of food packaging or eating food is considered to be extremely low.”
Last September the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods stated, “Despite the billions of meals and food packages handled since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, to date there has not been any evidence that food, food packaging or food handling is a source or important transmission.”
This consensus is consistent with literature reviews and research in other countries, and the fact that in the 100 million cases of Covid 19 worldwide, no evidence suggests food or food packaging is a source of transmission to humans, note attorneys for the law firm of Keller and Heckman.
CDC) together with OSHA have provided guidance for food manufacturers about how to reduce the risk of spreading Covid 19 between workers that is available on OSHA’s website.
These guidelines are said to complement the USDA and FDA food safety requirements that all U.S. food manufacturers are expected to follow.
