Safety alert for imported food companies

Shanghai's market watchdog has ordered businesses involving imported cold chain food storage, transport, processing and packaging to regulate their operations after a worker at a seafood-processing company in Dalian, Liaoning Province, tested positive for COVID-19, authorities said on Friday night.

Food transport companies are banned from opening containers during the transport of imported cold chain foods, according to a notice released by the Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation.

They should thoroughly disinfect vehicles and food storage containers after each delivery.

Operators of refrigerated storage venues should disinfect packages of imported frozen foods, and conduct regular cleaning and disinfection, according to the notice.

Imported food storage and transport companies should ensure the effective refrigeration and clean and disinfect refrigerators regularly.

Companies should record and keep information of food material procurements and sales to ensure they can be tracked, the notice says.

Pork, poultry and aquatic products must have quarantine certificates and meat-processing companies should check nucleic acid test results when receiving imported animal meat. Meat and aquatic products that have expired, are spoiled or lack quarantine certificates are banned from processing and sales, the notice says.

Companies should upload procurement and sales information of imported cold chain foods to the city's food safety information tracking platform.

They should also screen imported food material risks during procurement, slaughtering, storage and transport, and conduct regular cleaning and disinfection of their manufacturing and business venues.

Staff in the industry should ensure hand hygiene to prevent cross contamination, and companies should record their health before starting work.