China requires full traceability for cold-chain food

China’s government sets new rules on traceability of all food products transported via cold-chain, like milk and dairy products, vegetables, fruits, and drinks. These restrictions have been implemented since February 12 in Beijing, and they will be set in all the China, in order to prevent COVID-19 contamination from foreign imported food and products. 

After the strengthening of covid-related controls on imported food in January, China hits again the international market with a new obstacle for foreign exporters: all imported cold-chain food products which are stored at 0 °C temperatures or below now must be registered on an online platform, “Beijing cold-chain”, launched in November 2020. Products must have an inspection and a quarantine certificate, a COVID-19 PCR test report, a disinfection certificate, and available traceability data. Otherwise, these products will not be allowed to enter the Chinese market. 

These new restrictions raised widespread protests in the global trading community because they are seen more as unfair protectionist acts rather than measures against the pandemic. These suspects are based on the skepticism of the scientific community about the real risk of COVID-19 infection carried by food products or food packaging. In a joint statement between FDA and CDC made on 18 February, they said: “there is no credible evidence of food or food packaging associated with or as a likely source of […] the virus causing COVID-19”. 

The statement continues with: “Given that the number of virus particles that could be theoretically picked up by touching a surface would be very small and the amount needed for infection via oral inhalation would be very high, the chances of infection by touching the surface of food packaging or eating food is considered to be extremely low.”

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