While the CDC and the FDA have been consistent in their stance that foodborne transmission of coronavirus is not possible, there may be new evidence to suggest otherwise.
A team of Chinese researchers has found the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 can survive for over a week on the surface of chilled fresh salmon, raising implications that it could be a source of international transmission.
The experiment discovered that the virus remained infectious for eight days after being kept at a temperature of 4°C, which is the temperature where the fish is kept in markets, restaurants and during shipping. The experiment also found that the virus remained infectious on the salmon for two days at 25°C, at regular room temperature.
The research was led by Dr Dai Manman, associate professor with the South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou. Fish was bought from a shop in Guangzhou, and then cut into small cubes and combined with the viral particles in a solution. The infected meat was then stored at different temperatures and a sample was taken for each day to see if the virus could infect normal cells.
The hypothesis so far is that the virus can survive longer in lower temperatures, but it remains unknown if the meat can remain infectious.
This discovery has heightened fears that food can be a source of international transmission, as high-quality salmon can be transported across the world in a matter of days. For instance, Chile’s fishing authority said last year that salmon could reach Shanghai in just two-and-a-half days.
“This calls for strict inspection or detection of (the coronavirus) as a critical new protocol in fish importation and exportation before allowing sales," said Dr Dai in the non-peer-reviewed paper.
China previously halted salmon imports temporarily in mid-June after the virus was found on salmon chopping boards at Xinfadi market, the centre of the Beijing outbreak.
Consumption of salmon and other imported seafood in China dropped sharply after the outbreak in Beijing. Business in some Japanese restaurants, where raw salmon is a common ingredient, also dropped more than 99 per cent.
However, authorities later ruled out salmon as the source of transmission.
The new findings present a stark contrast to the most recent reports in Western media, which note that there is no cause for concern around coronavirus transmission through food. In fact, a recently released study by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods found "no documented evidence that food is a significant source or vehicle for transmission of COVID."
These studies definitely contradict each other and we're left scratching our heads. Will you be reducing your consumption of salmon as a precaution?