A study by a group of scientists from Singapore and Ireland has found that the coronavirus causing COVID-19 has the ability to survive in refrigerated and frozen foods, specifically meat, for 21 days during cross-border transportation.
The study is published on the bioRxiv portal of scientific Research
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.17.255166v1
"Our laboratory work has shown that SARS-CoV-2 can survive the time and temperatures associated with transportation and storage conditions associated with international food trade. When adding SARS-CoV-2 to chicken, salmon and pork pieces there was no decline in infectious virus after 21 days at 4°C [39.2 degrees Fahrenheit] (standard refrigeration) and –20°C [-4 degrees Fahrenheit] (standard freezing)," the study read.
Aside from being hazardous for immediate consumers, such contaminated imported products can also transmit the virus to industry workers and into the environment, according to the findings.
"Our findings, coupled with the reports from China of SARS-CoV-2 being detected on imported frozen chicken and frozen shrimp packaging material, should alert food safety competent authorities and the food industry of a 'new normal' environment where this virus is posing a non-traditional food safety risk," the scientists said.
Source: Sputnik news