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    Home > Food News > Nutrition News > A copy of imported cherries in Wuxi is positive for nucleic acid, can you still eat and drink happily?

    A copy of imported cherries in Wuxi is positive for nucleic acid, can you still eat and drink happily?

    • Last Update: 2021-06-28
    • Source: Internet
    • Author: User
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    Ruan Guangfeng

     
    After entering winter, sporadic cases of the new crown epidemic began to appear in Hebei, Beijing, Heilongjiang, Dalian.
    .
    .
    and other places, which added a lot of trouble to us who are about to celebrate the Spring Festival
    .
    In addition to the increase in infection cases, the food we eat has also begun to have some "problems"
    .
     
    On January 15th, 3 minutes of Tianjin Daqiao Road ice cream was found to be positive for the new coronavirus nucleic acid.
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    .
     
    On January 21, a copy of imported cherries from Wuxi, Jiangsu tested positive for the new coronavirus on the inner surface.
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    .
     
    On January 21st, Tianjin found imported whey powder with positive nucleic acid.
    .
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    From the initial “new crown virus found on the salmon chopping board” in Beijing Xinfadi, “positive soy product sales area samples”, to the infection of Qingdao aquatic product porters, to the recent new crowns of ice cream, cherries, whey powder and other foods The virus was positive for nucleic acid, and suddenly, it seemed that all food was contaminated by the new coronavirus
    .
     
    So, how exactly is food contaminated with the virus? Will the new coronavirus survive and spread on the surface of food? If a food has a positive nucleic acid test, will it be possible for people to be infected if they eat it? Let’s continue to talk with you about food and the new crown today
    .
     
    1.
    How is the food contaminated with the virus?
     
    Nucleic acid positives for the new coronavirus are frequently detected in food, so where does the virus come from? How is food contaminated with the virus? In fact, viruses cannot grow and reproduce in food.
    Diseases
     
    Poisons are difficult to survive and replicate for a long time in food, and humans are the ideal host for it
    .
     
    The new coronavirus on food and packaging mainly comes from infected people
    .
     
    Many people abroad are now infected with the new coronavirus, and there may be many engaged in food production, processing, transportation and storage
    .
    The main route of transmission of the new coronavirus is respiratory droplets
    .
    In the process of food processing, transportation and storage, especially in places where employees are relatively dense, such as supermarkets, factories, and slaughtering and processing plants, if food handling, processing, and production personnel are infected and fail to comply with good operating practices, such as If you do not wash your hands or wear a mask, the virus may be contaminated with food
    .
     
    In fact, earlier, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that in the process of tracing the source of Qingdao's new crown pneumonia epidemic, live virus was detected and isolated from positive samples of imported frozen cod carried by workers
    .
    This is the first time that the live new coronavirus has been isolated on the outer packaging of cold-chain food, and it has been confirmed that contact with the outer packaging contaminated by the new coronavirus can cause human infection
    .

     
    2.
    Will the virus survive on food and surfaces?
     
    The new coronavirus requires close contact with an infected person, is transmitted through droplets, and spreads in the human body by parasitism
    .
    In fact, it can survive on the surface of dry objects such as tableware, lunch boxes, etc.
    , but it is extremely low contagious
    .
    During SARS, some researchers simulated droplets containing high concentrations of virus onto dry paper, and found that the paper was no longer infectious within 5 minutes
    .
     
    However, the more troublesome problem of the new crown virus is that it is more cold-resistant, not afraid of cold, and can survive for a longer period of time
    .
    Some studies have found that this virus may live for more than 20 days at 4°C and 20% relative humidity
    .
    Therefore, cold chain foods have found problems many times.
    After entering the winter, many foods enter the natural cold chain, and some problems have begun to appear, such as steak and ice cream, including the recent cherries
    .
     
    This is also the main challenge we are facing now-in cold chain food and packaging, the new crown virus can survive for a period of time, and there is a certain possibility of infection
    .
     
    3.
    Will the positive nucleic acid of food COVID-19 cause human infection?
     
    What everyone is most concerned about is: if the food tests positive for the new coronavirus nucleic acid, is it possible to be infected by eating it directly? Is this kind of food still edible? In fact, it is not necessarily.
    Don’t dare to eat ice cream or cherries just because you see such news
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    First of all, for the new coronavirus to infect humans, a sufficient number of infectious live viruses must enter the human body
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    If there are only a few viruses, it is difficult for them to cross our body's own immune system and cannot infect people
    .

     
    Secondly, the positive nucleic acid test for the new crown virus in ice cream and cherries does not prove that there is a live virus, nor does it mean that eating such ice cream will definitely make people infected with the new crown
    .
     
    In fact, the current method of detecting the new coronavirus is to detect specific gene regions of the new coronavirus through real-time fluorescent RT-PCR
    .
    The detection object of this method is the RNA molecule after the virus is inactivated.
    A positive nucleic acid test result can only indicate that there is a positive new coronavirus gene fragment in it, but it does not mean that it contains a live new coronavirus
    .

     
    Moreover, products such as ice cream are also subjected to high temperature sterilization during the processing and production process, and the possibility of live viruses in the products that are officially produced is extremely low
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    In addition, although there are cases of cold chain food spreading to people, basically people who have not done personal protection at the first contact point of the market and logistics are infected, and there are no cases of infection caused by eating food
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    Therefore, eating foods that are positive for COVID-19 may not cause people to be infected
    .

     
    4.
    What can be done to reduce the risk?
     
    Although there are cases of cold chain transmission, it is basically the infection of people at the first contact point such as markets and logistics.
    There are no cases of infection due to eating frozen meat, seafood or other foods.
    Therefore, you don’t have to worry too much about eating.
    Don’t panic too much if you get the new crown
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    Do a good job of cleaning and personal protection at ordinary times, basically you don't have to worry too much
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    How to do it There are still a few points that I have emphasized with you:
     
    (1) Try to go to regular supermarkets and markets to buy food
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    Regular supermarkets generally have stricter requirements for the control of raw materials, such as requiring importers to provide a nucleic acid negative certificate, etc.
    , and more comprehensive disinfection of its sales places will be carried out on a daily basis, and the management of staff will be stricter, which can be more Ensure food safety well
    .

     
    (2) Take personal protection when buying food
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    Pay attention to personal protection when buying food, such as wearing a mask and disposable gloves
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    You can also bring sterile paper towels and a clean shopping bag
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    Before using supermarket carts and shopping baskets, disinfect the handles and handrails with disinfectant paper towels or disinfectant
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    Because supermarket carts and shopping baskets have been touched by many people, they can be a source of cross-contamination just like door handles and elevator buttons
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    Therefore, it is safer to disinfect the handle before using it yourself
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    In addition, you can also spray and disinfect the outer packaging with alcohol after you buy it home
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    (3) When buying fresh, frozen and refrigerated foods such as fish, seafood, meat, etc.
    , it is best to wear disposable gloves or use a disposable shopping bag to make selections.
    Do not touch the food directly with your hands
    .
    From the current point of view, imported refrigerated and frozen food is the most likely to be contaminated, so try not to touch these raw foods with bare hands
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    It is safer to wear disposable gloves
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    (4) Wash hands frequently and pay attention to personal hygiene
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    Always wash your hands before, during and after handling food
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    For example, after touching cold-chain foods, you should also wash your hands with soap and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth without washing your hands; wash your hands before handling cooked and raw food; wash your hands before using the toilet and before eating
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    (5) Store separately to avoid cross contamination
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    Frozen and refrigerated foods such as meat, fish, and seafood bought home should be packaged and stored separately from other foods such as fruits, vegetables, and cooked food to avoid cross-contamination
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    This is the basic principle of food safety, and it should be done even if there is no epidemic
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    (6) Do not wash raw frozen food with water
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    When buying frozen seafood and frozen meat, try not to wash it with water, because washing can easily cause splashes and increase the risk of cross-contamination
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    (7) Cutting boards, knives, containers, etc.
    , used to handle food should be separated from raw and cooked food
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    It is best to prepare 2-3 cutting boards at home, one for cutting raw food and the other for cutting raw food directly.
    Don't mix them
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    The knife for cutting frozen food and cooked food should also be kept separate
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    (8) Cook thoroughly before eating
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    Foods such as frozen meat and seafood must be cooked thoroughly before eating
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