10 replies to this topic

[Yumna]

Is this virus transferable through packaging materials to food products? There is one initial study which suggests that this virus can stay for up to 3-4 days on plastics and SS materials. (Link for article on this study is as follows):

https://www.forbes.c...s/#55c74fee412f

 

But these details of virus staying present on different surfaces for different times cannot be found on any other forum. If this is true; then should there be any procedure for disinfecting the fully packaged products as well? That would be a very tedious work to do in a food manufacturing facility that is continuously operational. 

 

Kindly share your thoughts on this and if you have any authentic references for this study then that would be very helpful! 

 

Thank You!

[GMO]

You cannot disinfect your world.  All you can do is reduce risk.  Without a vaccine, it is so contagious we will all end up getting it.  All we can do is reduce the transmission to help try to reduce the impact on the health service.  If the health service gets overwhelmed, choices have to be made on who gets ventilators.  Who gets intensive care.

 

In the meantime, it's not practicable to disinfect every box, every bag etc.  Just wash your hands often.

[SQFconsultant]

No truth to the surface thing.

 

No truth to the virus.

Edited by SQFconsultant, 25 March 2020 - 08:20 PM.

[kettlecorn]

Yeah, except this is what actual science (not wishful thinking) says, summarized from a study in the March 17, 2020, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. We no longer exist in a world before the Enlightenment, after all. 

 

"The scientists tested the viruses on plastic, stainless steel, copper, and cardboard. They also used a rotating drum to suspend the virus in aerosols, a mist of tiny droplets. This technique was used to determine if the virus could linger in the air. 

"SARS-CoV-2 [COVID-19] remained active on plastic and stainless steel surfaces for two to three days under the conditions in this experiment. It remained infectious for up to 24 hours on cardboard and four hours on copper. The virus was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours. These times will vary under real-world conditions, depending on factors including temperature, humidity, ventilation, and the amount of virus deposited."

https://www.nih.gov/...n-surfaces-days

 

I know of no way to disinfect cardboard, at least practically. We all know how to disinfect other surfaces, I would hope. 

Edited by kettlecorn, 25 March 2020 - 09:02 PM.

[SQFconsultant]

Are you saying what they call CV19 was active on these surfaces, as in - able to transmit CV19 to someone?

Edited by SQFconsultant, 25 March 2020 - 10:22 PM.

[Quality@BLDG]

A very important question to focus on.

It’s important to acknowledge current information from the World Health Organisation

that food is not known to be a mode of transmission for COVID-19. Good hygiene and sanitation are important to avoid cross contamination through the packaging materials. My industry deals with the production of infant formula, and we are taking strict measures to disinfect any primary or secondary packaging material using UV tunnels and heat guns.

[kettlecorn]

Are you saying what they call CV19 was active on these surfaces, as in - able to transmit CV19 to someone?

 

I'm not sure whether you read the summary from the National Institutes of Health I linked to, but it's all there to peruse. Perhaps it might be possible to separate, at least rhetorically if not conceptually, what any particular person is saying from what science is saying. To put it simply: yes, that is what science is saying. 

 

GMO's point about reducing risk stands. Right now following cGMPs to the letter, along with guidance from scientists working on the virus, pretty much amounts to all we can do until a vaccine arrives. 

[majoy]

Well, if we all come to this kind of thinking, we are all screwed and we will have to modify all our haccp plans and our company will have to invest resources to be able to operate - lucky if you're working for companies with deep pockets, but unlucky if you're medium-small business.

 

We should all be science based here, after all the foundation of our profession is on science - research on reputable sources and read the studies and make decisions from there. I am putting my confidence on my government and regulatory to tell me/inform me of the risk in the food industry. I'm not going to waste my time listening to fake news and random knowledgeable people in the internet.

[SQFconsultant]

Thanks for the information, enlightening to say the least.

[Vladimir Surcinski]

''Machamer: What's getting a lot of press and is presented out of context is that the virus can last on plastic for 72 hours—which sounds really scary. But what's more important is the amount of the virus that remains. It's less than 0.1% of the starting virus material. Infection is theoretically possible but unlikely at the levels remaining after a few days. People need to know this.''

 

Maybe this could help in further discussion. It is true that stays in surfaces, but amount of it is so small that there is very low risk on transferring the same on employees, especial if employees respect the preventive rules company implemented. 

 

Link to the text - https://hub.jhu.edu/...ve-on-surfaces/

 

Take care and keep our food safe!

Edited by Vladimir Surcinski, 28 March 2020 - 03:16 PM.

[George Adam N]

very helpful

 

Yeah, except this is what actual science (not wishful thinking) says, summarized from a study in the March 17, 2020, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. We no longer exist in a world before the Enlightenment, after all. 

 

"The scientists tested the viruses on plastic, stainless steel, copper, and cardboard. They also used a rotating drum to suspend the virus in aerosols, a mist of tiny droplets. This technique was used to determine if the virus could linger in the air. 

"SARS-CoV-2 [COVID-19] remained active on plastic and stainless steel surfaces for two to three days under the conditions in this experiment. It remained infectious for up to 24 hours on cardboard and four hours on copper. The virus was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours. These times will vary under real-world conditions, depending on factors including temperature, humidity, ventilation, and the amount of virus deposited."

https://www.nih.gov/...n-surfaces-days

 

I know of no way to disinfect cardboard, at least practically. We all know how to disinfect other surfaces, I would hope.