Imported food from coronavirus-hit nations are safe for consumption, says India body

Gulf Today Report

No you won’t get the coronavirus from virus hit nations. It’s safe!

Imported food including those from Covid-19 hit countries, are "safe" for consumption, according to a top Tripura health official here said on Sunday.

Tripura Health and Family Welfare Director, Radha Debbarma said the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had notified that any imported foods and consumable items, even from coronavirus-affected countries, were "fully safe" for human consumption.

"After concerns over their safety, the FSSAI set up a committee of experts. The group didn't find any 'conclusive evidence' of the food-borne transmission of coronavirus. Cooked meat, including chickens, duck, poultry and goat are safe to eat," she said.

But as a precautionary measure, the panel has advised avoidance of consumption of raw or undercooked meat as well as unprocessed food products.

Coronavirus affects the respiratory system of a person. It spreads human to human by means of droplets while sneezing, coughing, contaminated hands and surfaces.

The FSSAI, under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, was set up in 2006 to handle food-related issues. "Frozen foods kept in refrigerators for a long time should be cooked properly before use," Debbarma said.

The global death toll has passed 16,591, with over 384,453 confirmed cases and more than 102,536 recoveries.