China has found coronavirus trace on beef shipment packaging
A notification came from China that warns of the detection of Covid-19 in a packaging of Argentine meat: "It is in a container, not in the meat itself," commented a source close to the issue.
In this sense, the National Service of Health and Agrifood Quality (Senasa) will have to prepare a discharge note on the subject in question and wait to see what position the Asian giant takes, which has become the main destination for shipments abroad from meat.
Government sources confirmed that Senasa received a communication from China informing about the detection of COVID 19 in a shipment of beef from Argentina, after the nucleic acid test carried out on an external packaging was positive.
"It is important to note that it is not the product, which is in perfect condition and meeting all the required sanitary standards, but the outer packaging", they highlight.
In addition, they add that it is an isolated case, which is the first time that has happened to Argentine since the pandemic began. "We are working to give security to China of a normal supply of meat, maintaining the required sanitary standards. We are also analyzing with China the movement of this product, since once it enters the port of that country, it begins to be handled there, making it difficult to determine the origin of the presence of the virus".
The shipment had entered through the port of Shanghai and on November 9. A part was transferred and deposited in a cold giver in Nanjing city, capital of Jiangsu. On November 10, prior to its release to the market, the CDC Nanjing authorities conducted tests on the aforementioned product.
"At Senasa we are investigating this isolated case to assure China that Argentina continues to comply with its health protocols," they commented from the official body.
It should be noted that this year Senasa had suspended the export of meat to China from a series of cold stores in the face of Covid-19 cases, through a mechanism that had been agreed with the Chinese health authorities.
The WHO says the risk of catching COVID-19 from food is low, but China has repeatedly sounded alarms after detecting the virus on packaging of products ranging from pork knuckles to shrimp, triggering disruptive import bans.
China, which has used drastic measures to control the spread of the novel coronavirus, this week tightened restrictions requiring "full coverage" testing and disinfection of imported food products, following a smattering of positive samples detected on beef, pork and seafood.
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