As per a report published in Bloomberg, the coronavirus was tested positive on the outside of five shrimp packages and was even found inside one of the shipping containers. It is believed that all the samples were from the three Ecuadorian plants and as of now importing from the plants have been put on hold. As expected, the bizarre incident has raised fresh speculations over the transmission of novel coronavirus through food and food packaging, even though global health agencies have reinstated that the risk is quite low.
Bi Kexin, director of the food import and export safety bureau in the customs department, further elaborated, “The test result doesn’t mean the virus is contagious but reflects the loopholes in companies’ food safety regulations. Customs will further strengthen control of the origins of imported cold-chain food. ”