FDA Assures About Food Safety People and Animals During COVID-19

An important part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s mission is safeguarding the human and animal food supply, ensuring that our food is not contaminated at any point during its journey along the supply chain.

As FDA deals with the realities of a pandemic and the impact it is having on people’s lives, families, communities, and work, COVID-19 is a new frontier for them. The FDA is committed to protecting the health of Americans and facing any challenges in food safety and access that may arise during this public health emergency.

There is no evidence of human or animal food or food packaging being associated with transmission of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. So, Americans can rest assured while I tell you that the U.S. food supply remains safe for both people and animals.

Unlike norovirus and hepatitis A, foodborne gastrointestinal viruses that make people ill through contaminated food, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is a virus that causes respiratory illness. This virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person. Foodborne exposure to this virus is not known to be a route of transmission.

For these reasons, FDA does not anticipate that food products would need to be recalled or withdrawn from the market due to this outbreak, even if a person who works in a human or animal food facility (e.g. a food packager) is confirmed to be positive for the COVID-19 virus.