AUS
NZ
UK
CA
USA
IND
Summary
- Jinan, an eastern city in China, found COVID-19 on beef and tripe and their packaging from New Zealand, Brazil, and Bolivia amid rise of testing on frozen foods by China.
- The goods in question were imported by a unit of Shanghai Zhongli Development Trade and Guotai International Group.
- Experts have stated that the risk of catching coronavirus from food or its packaging is little and airborne droplets, as well as aerosols, are the major pathway for COVID-19.
Latest market reports have stated that eastern Chinese city of Jinan has found coronavirus in beef and tripe products. Also, their packaging from New Zealand, Bolivia, and Brazil, while 2 other provincial capitals have discovered the virus on packaging on pork from Argentina.
However, NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has slammed the reports of China finding coronavirus on NZ frozen meat exports. She also announced that she had been advised that the beef was not of NZ and further investigation is going on.
Image Source: ©Kalkine Group 2020
The China Story
China is the top beef buyer in the world with Brazil and Argentina as its most prominent suppliers.
On 14 November, Jinan Municipal Health Commission stated that the importers were a unit of Guotai International Group and Shanghai Zhongli Development Trade. It also revealed that the entry ports included Shanghai’s Yangshan port customs and outer port customs but did not name the companies that shipped the products to China.
The Commission also added that over 7500 people have tested negative who might have been exposed to the contaminated products that cause the virus.
Cases of frozen pork have been recorded in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province in central China, and Xian, the capital of Shaanxi. The samples that tested positive in Zhengzhou came from a 24-tonne batch of frozen pork sent from a storage facility in Qingdao port.
It was not immediately apparent if the two events were related.
NZ’s response to China claims
As per Stats NZ, NZ exported about $3.173 billion of meat and edible meat offal to China (about 38% of the total meat exports of NZ) for the year ended September 2020. China is the largest meat export market for NZ.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, NZ has stated that the nation had not been notified formally about the issue by the Chinese officials.
The importance of frozen food and cold temperatures, possibly spreading the virus was at the forefront in New Zealand as authorities investigated the cause of a mysterious outbreak in August that started with a worker in a cold store warehouse.
DO READ: A Brief About Meat Industry in New Zealand
However, WHO has stated that the risk of catching coronavirus from frozen foods is low, but China has frequently raised alarms after identifying virus on imported food products, prompting disturbing import bans.
Sirma Karapeeva, chief executive of the New Zealand Meat Industry Association, also stated that the risk of coronavirus transmission from food or its packaging is negligible. She also added that WHO advice has indicated that transmission by airborne droplets and aerosols is the primary route for COVID-19.
(NOTE: Currency is reported in NZ Dollar unless stated otherwise)
