Frozen food is infected with the virus again! Can we still eat fish and shrimp during the Chinese New Year? Be sure to do this before preparing for the New Year

As the Chinese New Year approaches, I believe many people have already started preparing for the New Year. When it comes to New Year's goods, meat is definitely a must.

However, since the outbreak, a lot of news has been reported about new coronavirus testing products and environment and cold chain related news.

So, here comes the problem. Almost all meat products are closely related to the cold chain, and currently "cold chain logistics" has been pushed to the forefront again and again.

Therefore, preventing the spread of the new coronavirus in the cold chain is of utmost priority, and how to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in the cold chain is also a hot topic.

1

How important is it to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in the cold chain?

Zhu Yi, an associate professor at the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University, once said that the contamination of the new coronavirus has nothing to do with whether the product is fish, shrimp, chicken wings or its packaging. The key is the cold chain environment. Under the low temperature condition of -18°C throughout the process, viruses that are afraid of heat and like coolness are more suitable for survival.

Li Lanjuan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, also gave a popular science lecture on the survival environment of viruses. She pointed out, "Under normal circumstances, viruses can survive for a long time in the cold chain. Among the viruses we know and have mastered, the general virus can survive for 3-6 months at around 4°C, and in an environment below minus 20°C, it can survive for about 20 years. Of course, different viruses have different survival times."

Cold chain food is closely related to people's lives, and viruses are more likely to survive under cold chain conditions. Therefore, the importance of preventing the spread of the new coronavirus in the cold chain is beyond doubt.

2

Where did the new coronavirus in the cold chain come from?

On January 8, 2021, Shi Zhengli and Zhou Peng, researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, published an article in Science titled "Cross-species Transmission of the New Coronavirus". The article pointed out that the direct source of the COVID-19 pathogen has not yet been determined in the world.

Over the past year, most of the reported cases of the coronavirus being detected in cold chain products were on the outer packaging of imported frozen fresh produce, with aquatic products, such as white shrimp, being the most affected.

However, there is no clear conclusion as to where these packaged viruses came from. It is only judged that they may have been contaminated by droplets from infected people, that is, they may have been transmitted from person to person.

If the epidemic in the producing country, especially the production site, has not ended, the risk of cold chain workers being infected is high, and the risk of food surface being contaminated by workers is high.

Food production and processing is a labor-intensive industry, especially in cold chain packaging and transportation. Not all work can be done by machines. At present, in many foreign regions, the epidemic situation cannot be basically controlled. If the source of pollution is not cut off, the virus will continue to be detected in frozen food and packaging.

So, can we still buy cold chain food on the market? Which channels are safe to buy food from? Read on.

3

Can I still buy cold chain food?

The "2020 Food Safety and Health Rumor List" jointly released by the China Association for Science and Technology's Science Refutation Platform and the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology mentioned that among the more than 80 million confirmed cases worldwide, no infection caused by directly eating frozen foods has been found so far.

In other words, normal frozen foods purchased through regular channels are edible.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the country has raised the management of "cold chain logistics" to a new level. The positive detection of imported products and packaging also shows that my country's epidemic prevention and control measures are very strict and in place.

4

What else should we pay attention to in cold chain epidemic prevention?

Government regulation

The cold chain logistics epidemic prevention guidelines require that the prevention and control of the new coronavirus in cold chain food logistics imported by road and water must strictly follow four "gates", namely: personnel, tools, information and disposal.

We must ensure the health and safety of our staff; we must professionally and thoroughly disinfect all transportation vehicles, containers, and tools involved in the cold chain process to cut off the source of virus transmission; we must strictly implement the information registration system, and strictly prohibit the transportation and sale of cold chain foods of unknown origin; we must be prepared for emergency response to emergencies and resolutely cut off the routes of virus transmission.

Consumer side

First, you must take precautions when purchasing, and remember to wash your hands frequently and disinfect more often;

Second, do not buy products of unknown origin;

Third, pay attention to hygiene in key steps when cooking and make sure all ingredients are cooked thoroughly.

More science:

Disinfection is an effective way to prevent and control the epidemic

However, disinfection needs to be moderate and appropriate

If the method is not appropriate, it may backfire.

Endangering the health of yourself and your family

How to properly disinfect during the epidemic? What should you pay attention to when using disinfectants? What behaviors are considered excessive disinfection? ↓↓↓

If you do the above things well, I believe everyone can enjoy the food and have a warm and wonderful Spring Festival in this unusual period!

Source: Science China (ID: Science_China)

Long picture: CCTV News

Expert of this article: Liu Yadan, researcher, deputy secretary-general of China Agricultural International Exchange Association, national chief scientific communication expert