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Review
. 2021 Mar:109:25-36.
doi: 10.1016/j.tifs.2021.01.004. Epub 2021 Jan 9.

COVID-19 pandemic crisis and food safety: Implications and inactivation strategies

Sangha Han  1 , Pantu Kumar Roy  1 , Md Iqbal Hossain  1 , Kye-Hwan Byun  1 , Changsun Choi  2 , Sang-Do Ha  1
Affiliations
Review

COVID-19 pandemic crisis and food safety: Implications and inactivation strategies

Sangha Han et al. Trends Food Sci Technol. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in 2019 has imposed huge consequences, including economic losses and threats to human health, which are still affecting many aspects throughout the world.

Scope and approach: This review provides an overview of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the cause of COVID-19, and explores its impact on the food supply system and food safety. This review examines the potential risk of transmission through food and environmental surfaces before discussing an effective inactivation strategy to control the COVID-19 pandemic in the aspect of food safety. This article also suggests effective food safety management post-COVID-19.

Key findings and conclusions: Respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV-2 are responsible for huge impacts on the global economy and human health. Although food and water are not currently considered priority transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2, infection through contaminated food and environmental surfaces where the virus can persist for several days cannot be ignored, particularly when the surrounding environment is unhygienic. This approach could help determine the exact transmission route of SARS-CoV-2 and prepare for the post-COVID-19 era in the food safety sector.

Keywords: COVID-19; Food safety; Food supply chain; Inactivation; Post-COVID-19 era; SARS-CoV-2; Transmission route.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Worldwide COVID-19 outbreak.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Safety guideline during COVID-19 pandemic for the food sector at each step of the food chain.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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