National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment: A positive nucleic acid test for food does not mean it is infectious

 

Li Ning, deputy director of the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center, stated at a press conference on the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism on the 31st that some foods have recently been tested positive for the new coronavirus nucleic acid, which has attracted widespread attention from the society
.
The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus, which is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets and close human-to-person contact, and the possibility of infection through the digestive tract is extremely small
.
The new coronavirus nucleic acid test is mainly for nucleic acid fragments of the virus.
Whether it is a live virus or a dead virus, it may be positive for nucleic acid.
Therefore, a positive nucleic acid for food does not mean that it is infectious
.
The positive nucleic acid detection of these foods can only indicate that it has been contaminated by the new coronavirus.
So far, no case report of consumers infected with the new coronavirus after purchasing and processing food has been found
.
Judging from the detection of new coronavirus nucleic acid on food and its outer packaging, especially imported food and its outer packaging, the overall positive detection rate is relatively low, less than one in ten thousand, and it is mainly concentrated in the outer packaging of food.
Packaging, the overall pollution level is also relatively low, because the new coronavirus will not multiply on the surface of the food
.

 

Comprehensive analysis shows that the possibility of live viruses is relatively low
.
Especially for imported food, whether it is import or circulation, in accordance with the relevant requirements of physical defense, preventive disinfection and nucleic acid testing have been increased, and management and control have been strengthened at the source
.
In this case, the possibility of live viruses in the food is also very small
.
Especially after some problematic foods were discovered, they were also dealt with in time
.
Therefore, the possibility of consumers contracting the new coronavirus due to contact with food is very small
.

 

Li Ning said that despite this, under the normalization of epidemic prevention and control, consumers must also increase their awareness of protection and must protect themselves in accordance with relevant requirements
.
In the entire process of handling food and its packaging, wash your hands frequently, maintain good hand hygiene, and do not touch your mouth, eyes, and nose with dirty hands, especially when handling imported food
.
Consumers are especially reminded that they must keep in mind the five key points of food safety recommended by the World Health Organization: keep clean, separate raw and cooked food, cook and cook thoroughly, keep food at a safe temperature, use safe water and clean ingredients.
Consumers must Keep in mind that as long as these aspects are achieved, these foods can be eaten with confidence
.

 

(CCTV reporter Shi Yingchun and Gu Xiaoci)