Coronavirus Was Just Found on This Imported Food in China
In the latest case of coronavirus food contamination, Chinese authorities reported finding traces of the virus on chicken wings imported from Brazil.
A surface sample from the frozen chicken wings was tested during a border screening of imported foods in the city of Shenzhen. The authorities didn't name the brand of chicken that was the culprit, but are investigating potential contamination of other products from the same producer.
However, while the contamination was detected, there is no evidence of anyone contracting the virus from coming into contact with the chicken.
David Hui Shu-cheong, a respiratory medicine expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, stated the food was likely contaminated during the packaging process, and finding a positive test result for coronavirus doesn't mean the meat is infectious. Instead, the test could have picked up remnants of dead virus particles, which have been known to provide false positive tests in the past.
In June, China announced it would be testing all imported foods after an outbreak at a restaurant was linked to salmon imported from Norway. However, the link between the fish and the outbreak has never been proven.
In fact, there have been no confirmed cases of humans contracting coronavirus from food or food packaging anywhere in the world. Both the CDC and the WHO maintain in their official guidelines that the odds of getting infected from food is low. Coronavirus primarily spreads from person-to-person contact, because the virus needs a living host to survive.
Related: The #1 Myth About You Catching Coronavirus from Food
Cases in South America
The news comes a day after a routine inspection at a restaurant in Chinese province Anhui found coronavirus on the packaging of frozen shrimp imported from Ecuador.
South American countries have been grappling with rapidly growing cases since May. Brazil currently has the second-highest rate of COVID-19 cases in the world, with over 3 million infections. Chile, Colombia, and Peru are also facing dire numbers that put them in the top 10 world countries with most confirmed cases.
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