By THE PULSE NEWS MEXICO STAFF

According to a report released earlier this month by the European Food Safety Authority (EPSA), there is no evidence to indicate that the novel coronavirus is transmitted by food.

“EFSA is closely monitoring the situation regarding the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that is affecting a large number of countries across the globe,” the report, issued on March 9, said.

“There is currently no evidence that food is a likely source or route of transmission of the virus.”

The report went on to say that the Italian-based EFSA’s chief scientist, Marta Hugas, had stated that “experiences from previous outbreaks of related coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), showed that transmission through food consumption did not occur. At the moment, there is no evidence to suggest that coronavirus is any different in this respect.” The EFSA report also noted that the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) had observed that “while animals in China were the likely source of the initial infection, the virus is spreading from person to person – mainly via respiratory droplets that people sneeze, cough or exhale. According to the EFSA report, while scientists and authorities worldwide continue to monitor the spread of the virus, so far “there have not been any reports of transmission through food.” Notwithstanding, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued precautionary recommendation regarding food safety, which includes advice on good hygiene practices, such as through hand-washing before food preparation to avoid any sort of potential contamination.