Impact of COVID-19 pandemic crisis and food safety system: a literature review

Abstract

The new outbreak as unknown pneumonia that occurred in Wuhan province of China in December 2019, is a new coronavirus from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and has been termed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that usually cause respiratory illness. Since food plays an essential role in human health as an integral part of human life, food safety is critical in such cases. It is essential to adopt practical strategies in controlling the COVID-19 crisis. Also, extreme economic consequences and threats to human health were imposed in the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-2021. Some studies have been published by World Health Organization (WHO), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA); however, there is little information about food safety and COVID-19. Although COVID-19 transmission routes through food are not currently known, contamination through contaminated food and environmental surfaces cannot be ignored, especially in manufacturing companies, restaurants, and communities that are unsanitary. Nevertheless, World Health Organization precautions on good hygiene when preparing food, and recommends effective management of food safety during COVID-19. In food safety, COVID-19 is known as a potential risk through food especially in restaurants and industrial areas. There have been very few studies on the relationship between food safety and COVID- 19. Studies have shown that COVID-19 can survive longer than MERS-CoV in food stored at 4 °C. In the current situation, several methods are used to disinfect and control the spread of COVID-19 disease, some of which are not effective and can also have problems and limitations. Heat treatment, pasteurization, UV light-based, and chemical disinfectants can be ways to prevent COVID-19 probable transmission. The temperatures (30 or 40 °C) reduced the survival time of HCoVs on the inanimate surfaces. The cooking processes (70 °C) are effective in inactivating the virus in food. SARS-CoVs were inactivated by exposure to ultraviolet (254 nm) for 1 to 6 min with an increase of up to 400-fold. Also, usage of disinfectants can be effective for inanimate surfaces. This review summarizes the available data related to some topics and methods to inactivate COVID-19 and the role and importance of the food industry and food supply chain during the pandemic.