‘NO EVIDENCE’ VIRUS TRANSMITTED BY FOOD, WHO SAYS

The World Health Organization on Thursday downplayed the danger of the coronavirus latching on to food packaging and urged people not to be afraid of the virus entering the food chain. Two cities in China said they had found traces of the coronavirus in imported frozen food and on food packaging, raising fears that contaminated food shipments might cause new outbreaks.

“People should not fear food, or food packaging or processing or delivery of food,” WHO head of emergencies program Mike Ryan told a briefing in Geneva.

“There is no evidence that food or the food chain is participating in transmission of this virus. And people should feel comfortable and safe.”