China orders inspections to prevent COVID-19 pass on via cold chain
03 December, 2020
China is carrying out sweeping inspections on food importers, supermarkets, e-commerce systems and restaurants to avoid the pass on of coronavirus through imported cool chain items, the country's industry regulator said on Wednesday (Nov 2).
"The existing epidemic prevention and control situation continues to be complex and austere, and the risk of the disease entering through imported cold chain links is consistently rising as the exchange of international employees and goods increases," State Administration for Market Regulation said in a affirmation on its website.
While China has recently stepped up assessment and disinfection of imported frozen products at ports and in native markets, traveling up costs and curbing demand, the latest responses from Beijing showed inspections on freezing chain imports would only strengthen.
China has repeatedly detected the virus on product packaging on products which range from German pork knuckles to Ecuadorian shrimp, triggering disruptive import bans, even as the World Health Company says the chance of catching COVID-19 from frozen food is low.
The administration in addition has asked for authorities to have all cold storages registered by the finish of the year, in line with the statement.
Imported cold chain foods cannot be sold in China without a report exhibiting they possess undergone a nucleic acid test for the coronavirus, the marketplace regulation administration stated, reiterating an existing policy.
Imported cold chain foods "with no inspection and quarantine certificate, or nucleic acid test survey, or disinfection certificate, or tractability information, should not be sold on the market," the statement said.
Local authorities need to intensify the crackdown about imported cold chain food products without distinct origin, or relevant receipts and bills, it said.
Producers and operators were to generate imported cold chain foods through designated channels and retailer and sell them in designated areas, based on the statement.
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