日韩精品久久一区二区三区_亚洲色图p_亚洲综合在线最大成人_国产中出在线观看_日韩免费_亚洲综合在线一区

Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
World
Home / World / Asia-Pacific

Infection link to packaging stirs debate

By KARL WILSON in Sydney | China Daily Global | Updated: 2020-08-21 11:26
Share
Share - WeChat

Experts look into durability of virus in food chain, with focus on cold storage

An employee works with frozen food, inside a large refrigerated chamber at Ecofrio company in Tlalnepantla state of Mexico, Mexico Feb 27, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

Can the coronavirus be carried on the packaging of refrigerated food?

It is a question scientists around the world are debating as more cases appear to come from frozen food packaging such as cardboard and plastic.

While the incidence is low, it nevertheless poses serious questions for global supply chains.

And despite the very limited likelihood of catching COVID-19 from packaged refrigerated food, an element of risk remains, scientists said.

The recent outbreak in New Zealand, which had been coronavirus-free for 102 days until fresh cases were recorded on Aug 11, came as a complete surprise to the nation of 5 million.

The locally acquired cases of coronavirus were confirmed in New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland, which prompted the government to introduce strict level three lockdown measures on Aug 12.

The source of the outbreak was traced to a cold storage facility which handled imported frozen foods.

It was first thought the virus had been brought in on the packaging of frozen food-a theory now under investigation in China, which has had similar cases in recent weeks.

On Aug 18, New Zealand's health department said the virus did not originate from frozen food shipments.

"It seems clear now that the possibility is being ruled out from that investigation," said Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield, according to Reuters, without supplying details of the investigation.

Officials in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, recently found traces of the virus on imported chicken wing shipments.

While the virus can survive at low temperatures, the question is for how long.

Sacha Stelzer-Braid, a virologist in Australia at the University of New South Wales, said the COVID-19 virus can remain infectious at low temperatures.

"We store the virus in freezers," she said. "While the virus can survive in low temperatures, its infectivity will diminish over time."

However, she doubts that refrigeration is a primary source for infection. "The evidence we have so far is that the virus is transmitted via droplets in the air, not on the wrapping of food products.

"If you work in cold storage and have the virus, you are excreting it as you cough or sneeze. The droplets while airborne will eventually land on the coating, such as plastic."She said the coating will remain infectious during transport.

When the products arrive, they are unpacked, but the probability of getting the virus is "very low", she said, adding that the longer the virus remains frozen, the "weaker it becomes".

'No simple answers'

Tim Newsome, an associate professor and a virologist at the University of Sydney, said there are "no simple answers, as transmission is a complex chain of events".

"How long it can last on packaging in the real world will depend on all of these parameters," Newsome said.

"Another question that needs more work is how do you get the virus from packaging to causing disease in your lungs, and what quantities are needed."

Donald Schaffner, a professor and director of Rutgers' food science graduate program in the United States, said the virus can survive for long periods of time under frozen conditions.

"The primary risk is with the packaging," Schaffner told NJ Advance Media on July 31.

Associate Professor Rowland Cobbold from the University of Queensland, an expert in zoonotic diseases, as well as food safety in meat and microbiology, said:"Like many viruses, COVID-19 survives better in colder temperatures."

But how long it can survive depends on the specific environmental conditions, he said.

Those conditions range from temperature, humidity and ultraviolet exposure to the surface where the virus is located, he said.

Most Viewed in 24 Hours
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲精品老司机综合影院 | 国产一卡2卡三卡4卡免费网站 | 中文字幕日本亚洲欧美不卡 | 色综合色狠狠天天久久婷婷基地 | 亚洲精品久久久中文字幕 | 九九99九九视频在线观看 | 青青久视频| 99热在线免费| 成人午夜性视频欧美成人 | 精品影院| 国产福利专区精品视频 | 亚洲在线免费视频 | 国产色在线 | 国外成人免费视频 | 婷婷激情电影 | av播放在线 | 亚洲AV成人天堂影院 | 欧美1区 | 天堂资源在线 | 日本高清色www | 国产成人精品一区二区三区视频 | 久章操 | 九一免费国产 | 久草黄视频 | 日韩在线观看视频一区 | 亚洲日本乱码在线观看 | 高潮岳喷我一脸 | 亚洲色图88 | 亚洲日本在线观看视频 | 精品欧美乱码久久久久久1区2区 | 成年人在线播放视频 | 丝袜美腿一区二区三区 | 久草中文在线 | 欧美综合精品 | 午夜特级毛片 | 一级毛片片| 日韩视频在线免费观看 | 波多野结衣在线网址 | 1级毛片 | 魔法骑士在线观看免费完整版高清 | 91精品观看 |