Novel Coronavirus and Food Safety

Key points:

• There is no evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted through food.
• Maintaining good hygiene practices is recommended.
• Anyone with suspected symptoms of respiratory illness should avoid preparing food for other people.

• Businesses need to follow any social distancing requirements requested by the Australian Government.

FSANZ is liaising with the Department of Health; the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, state and territory health authorities, and international counterparts to ensure the most up to date information is available on our website.

The following information provides advice for consumers, those working in the food industry, and charities, groups and volunteers donating food.

The Australian Government Department of Health is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest news, daily updates, current facts and figures, travel advice, key contact and phone numbers see their website.

What is coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that usually cause respiratory illness. They include viruses that cause the common cold and more serious illnesses such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

Previous experience with outbreaks of illness due to MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and other respiratory viruses (e.g. avian influenza) suggests that novel coronavirus may have been originally transmitted from animals to humans.

People can become infected with coronaviruses by breathing in infected droplets (e.g. from a cough), or by transferring the virus from dirty hands and touching their face, especially inside the nose or eyes.

Coronaviruses can survive on surfaces, such as a bench, for several days, depending on the type of material, temperature and humidity. The viruses can be destroyed by heat (e.g. cooking), common disinfectants, detergents and sanitisers.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has provided information about coronavirus on their website.

Can COVID-19 be transmitted through food?

COVID-19 is not a foodborne illness. There's no current evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted through food and no reported cases of COVID-19 have been linked to contamination of food.

The main risk of transmission is from close contact with infected people. The best approach is to maintain good hygiene at all times. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water and avoid touching your face to reduce your risk.

Do I need to wash my fruit and vegetables before use?

Thoroughly washing fresh fruit and vegetables under running water before eating is a good idea to remove surface dirt. Use of soap, disinfectants or detergents to wash your food is not recommended. These products are not designed for consumption and may actually be unsafe to use with food.

Is meat safe?

It is suspected COVID-19 may have originated in animals. It is not likely to be transmitted to humans from meat in Australia. WHO recommends cooking meat properly and not eating any meat from diseased animals.

In Australia all meat sold is subject to strict controls, including requirements that prohibit the use of meat and offal from diseased animals for human consumption. As such, it is unlikely that extra precautions need to be taken for meat in Australia to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

All raw meat can contain other microorganisms that cause food poisoning. It is important that we continue good food hygiene practices such as taking care to prevent cross contamination and cooking meats, especially mince and chicken, thoroughly.

Is there a risk of COVID-19 transmission from food packaging?

Food packaging is not known to present any specific risk to consumers. Studies have shown the COVID-19 virus can survive on surfaces for between a few hours and up to several days - depending on the type of surface, temperature and humidity of the environment. However, the numbers of virus will reduce considerably over that time as it dies off.

If you think a surface may be contaminated, clean it with a common household disinfectant (following manufacturer's instructions).

Maintaining usual food safety practices when handling food is recommended for both food businesses and consumers.

General food safety advice for everyone

Everyone should practise good hygiene when preparing and handling food.

WHO has issued precautionary recommendations including advice on good hygiene practices during food handling and preparation, they include:

• washing hands before handling food, and between handling raw and cooked foods
• thorough cooking and proper handling of meat products
• covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing
• avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness, such as coughing and sneezing.

As an added precaution, if you have suspected symptoms of respiratory illness you should avoid preparing food for other people and seek medical attention.

Advice for food businesses

It's important for food businesses to be extra vigilant with all aspects of health and hygiene, to ensure no-one contaminates the surfaces in your food service or processing environment because of illness or unclean habits.

Good hygienic manufacturing practices and thorough cooking for cooked products will minimise the risk of transmission and meet food safety requirements.

How do I prevent people in my business transmitting the virus?

Normal best-practice prevention measures will reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19, as for foodborne illnesses like norovirus and salmonella. These measures include practising good personal hygiene, having clean hands and clothes, keeping things clean and sanitised, excluding ill workers, and other recommended measures such as social distancing. Further details on these are provided below.

How can I properly clean and sanitise my equipment and facilities?

Cleaning and sanitising, particularly all food contact surfaces, is critical.

General cleaning should continue as normal (e.g. using hot water and detergent) and additional cleaning and sanitising of all food contact surfaces is recommended. Regular cleaning and sanitising of frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, light switches, trolley jacks, work benches, equipment and any other surface identified by the business should be implemented.

All eating and drinking utensils and food contact surfaces must be clean and sanitised before use.

For sanitising, current advice is that coronavirus is destroyed by hot water (e.g. by dishwashers operating above 60^oC), or by commercial sanitisers normally used (e.g. sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, and 70% ethanol). No change in concentration or exposure times is needed. Follow manufacturers' instructions. See our Cleaning and sanitising fact sheet.

Is soap and water enough for hand washing?

Handwashing is also critical to reducing spread of the virus – businesses should ensure adequate facilities are provided and ensure food handlers thoroughly and frequently wash their hands. It is recommended hands are washed thoroughly for at least 20 seconds, including fingers, thumbs, palms, back of hands, wrists, between fingers and under nails, then rinsed and dried thoroughly with paper towel. Normal soap and warm running water is adequate for hand washing. Hand sanitisers can be used as an added measure but should not replace hand washing.

Persons wearing gloves should be mindful that gloves are clean and changed as necessary, and hands are washed between changes.

What if someone on my business premises is unwell?

Health and hygiene responsibilities for food businesses and handlers have always required that all practicable measures must be taken to prevent contamination of the food service or processing environment. Food handlers must tell their supervisor if they have, or think they have, contaminated food in any way. Food handlers who know or suspect they are unwell or are suffering from symptoms of illness including sore throat, cough and fever must report this to their supervisor. Unwell food handlers need to be excluded from food handling activities or from the workplace entirely until they are professionally deemed safe to return to work (as per guidance from health authorities).

If multiple staff are directed to be quarantined and this affects operational capacity, the business will need to consider its own contingency plans for disposing of raw materials (especially fresh ingredients), any work in progress, or short shelf-life stock to ensure food safety is maintained.

You should also exclude other people you know are unwell, particularly from food handling areas (e.g. tradespeople entering your premises). Members of the public have an obligation to stay at home while displaying any symptoms such as sneezing or coughing.

See our fact sheets on health and hygiene requirements for food businesses and food handlers.

The Australian Government Department of Health has further specific guidance for employers.

What other precautions do I need to take?

• Make sure you and your staff are aware of the COVID-19 situation and take it seriously.
• Make sure staff are well trained to meet health and hygiene requirements.
• Effectively supervise all areas where food is exposed to ensure it is not contaminated, or removed if it is contaminated (or suspected to be).
• Social distancing is recommended - follow current health instructions. Businesses could consider positioning all people on the premises (including food handlers and customers) to be an appropriate distance apart to reduce the risk of transmission.

Information for charities, groups and volunteers donating food

If you are involved in giving away free food, you need to make sure that food is safe to eat and that you are complying with relevant legislation.

Charities, groups or volunteers providing free food may be exempt from some/all legislation applying to food businesses, but it depends on the activities, food and frequency of operations. Check with your local food enforcement agency to know what applies to your situation.

In any case, good food safety practices should always be followed when preparing, handling and storing food. See General food safety advice for everyone and:

• Be vigilant with hand washing and cleaning equipment and surfaces.
• Don't handle food if you are unwell.
• Make sure food is always kept at a temperature that keeps it safe (as much as possible, keep cold food at 5oC or colder, and hot food at 60oC or hotter).
• Some foods can cause allergic reactions in sensitive people – it's important to provide information on potential allergens in your food (especially peanuts, fish, egg, milk, sesame seeds, soybeans, lupin, tree nuts and gluten-containing cereals).

Other legislation may apply. For example, civil liability acts limit the liability of individuals and businesses that donate or distribute food, providing certain food safety conditions are met (e.g. that food is safe to eat when it leaves the donor, and that the donor gives the recipient any information needed to ensure the ongoing safety of the food regarding food handling and time limits for safe consumption).

Check with your local food enforcement agency for further information. Contact details are provided on our website.

Where can I find more information?

Health.Vic - Advice for Food Businesses  

NSW Food Authority - Advice for Food Businesses

New Zealand - COVID-19 and food safety

Safe Food Production Queensland - COVID-19 Advice for Food Businesses

SA Health -  Advice for Food businesses and industry

Tasmania - COVID-19 Food safety advice

WHO/FAO - COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for Food Businesses

Latest COVID-19 updates - see the Australian Government Department of Health website.

Food safety requirements - the requirements of Standards 3.2.2 and 3.2.3 apply to all Australian businesses and are on our website. Guidance for meeting the requirements is in Safe Food Australia (our guide to the food safety standards) and our InfoBites fact sheets.

Food safety enforcement and compliance - Australian state and territory health authorities and New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries are responsible for enforcement and compliance of the Food Standards Code. Contact details are available on our website.

Australian workplace laws - see Fair Work Ombudsman website.

Food Standards Australia & New Zealand, April 2020