Si fa presente che il Dipartimento dell’agricoltura degli Stati Uniti d’America (USDA), in un’apposita sezione del proprio sito istituzionale dedicata alle notizie di maggiore interesse sul COVID-19 (https://www.usda.gov/coronavirus), ha pubblicato una importante presa di posizione in cui si afferma che non ci sono al momento evidenze che il virus possa essere trasmesso da alimenti o imballaggi alimentari (anche importati).
USDA raccomanda, invece, l’osservanza delle buone prassi igieniche (lavaggio frequente delle mani e delle superfici, separazione della carne cruda dagli altri alimenti, cottura alla giusta temperatura e refrigerazione rapida degli alimenti) in fase di manipolazione o preparazione degli alimenti.
Si tratta di una nuova importante pronuncia da parte della più autorevole Istituzione americana che, fra i suoi principali obiettivi statutari, annovera quello della sicurezza alimentare e che fa eco a quanto comunicato la scorsa settimana dall’EFSA, che si era analogamente pronunciata sull’assenza di prove che il cibo sia fonte o via di trasmissione del coronavirus.
Ad ogni buon fine si trascrive qui di seguito il contenuto della sezione del sito web di USDA dedicata al COVID19:
“Food Safety
– Q: Can I become sick with coronavirus (COVID-19) from food?
A: We are not aware of any reports at this time of human illnesses that suggest COVID-19 can be transmitted by food or food packaging. However, it is always important to follow good hygiene practices (i.e., wash hands and surfaces often, separate raw meat from other foods, cook to the right temperature, and refrigerate foods promptly) when handling or preparing foods.
– Q: Are meat products compromised by the Coronavirus?
A: We are not aware of any reports at this time of human illnesses that suggest COVID-19 can be transmitted by food or food packaging. However, it is always important to follow good hygiene practices (i.e., wash hands and surfaces often, separate raw meat from other foods, cook to the right temperature, and refrigerate foods promptly) when handling or preparing foods.
– Q: Is FSIS taking any extra precautions when receiving food products from nations that have confirmed cases of COVID-19?
A: We are not aware of any reports at this time of human illnesses that suggest COVID-19 can be transmitted by food or food packaging. However, it is always important to follow good hygiene practices (i.e., wash hands and surfaces often, separate raw meat from other foods, cook to the right temperature, and refrigerate foods promptly) when handling or preparing foods.
– Q: Is food imported to the United States from China and other countries affected by COVID-19 at risk of spreading COVID-19?
A: Currently, there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods and there are no reported cases of COVID-19 in the United States associated with imported goods.
– Q: Can I get sick with COVID-19 from touching food, the food packaging, or food contact surfaces, if the coronavirus was present on it?
– A: Currently there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19. Like other viruses, it is possible that the virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on surfaces or objects. For that reason, it is critical to follow the 4 key steps of food safety – clean, separate, cook, and chill“.
