Does COVID-19 Affect Food Safety and Security?

A Summary Report on the Extraordinary Scientific Roundtable of IUFoST-CIFST on March 21, 2020

Abstract

The goal of this contribution is to provide a summary report on the Extraordinary Scientific Roundtable on COVID-19 and Food Safety co-organized by the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) and the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST).  The meeting provided a valuable recount of this coronavirus, particularly that the virus is not transmitted by food. On this basis, so far there is no evidence that COVID-19 has any effect on food safety and security as well as on food bioactives. The challenges faced by the food industry during the pandemic period as well as potential post-pandemic time opportunities were discussed.