Two cities in China have found traces of the novel Coronavirus in imported frozen food and on food packaging, local authorities said yesterday, raising fears that contaminated food shipments might cause new outbreaks.
A sample taken from the surface of frozen chicken wings imported into the southern city of Shenzhen from Brazil, as well as samples of outer packaging of frozen Ecuadorian shrimp sold in the northwestern Xian city, have tested positive for the virus.
According to Reuters, the discoveries came a day after traces of Covid-19 were found on the packaging of frozen shrimp from Ecuador in a city in eastern Anhui province.
China has been stepping up screenings at ports.
Shenzhen’s health authorities traced and tested everyone who might have come into contact with potentially contaminated food products, the city said.
The Brazilian embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not immediately reach the Ecuadorian embassy in Beijing.
A China-based official at a Brazilian meat exporter said. “It is hard to say at which stage the frozen chicken got infected.”
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