China to drop Covid-19 screening on imported cold-chain food after 3 years of contamination fears
- From January 8, Covid-19 monitoring and testing imposed on all imported cold chain foods will be dropped, China’s customs agency says
- China has linked virus infections to contaminated packaging, even though most scientists say there is a very slim chance of this happening
China’s customs agency will stop conducting tests for Covid-19 on imported cold-chain food products from January 8 as part of its pivot away from hardline containment measures after three years of isolation.
“Relevant provinces and autonomous regions should facilitate the orderly and steady resumption of cargo and passenger transport at ports according to procedures,” the General Administration of Customs said on Wednesday.
“From January 8, 2023, measures such as Covid 19 monitoring and testing imposed on all imported cold chain foods and non-cold chain items will be dropped.”
Up until recently, Chinese authorities have identified cold chain imports as a potential source of coronavirus transmission and say they have detected positive samples on frozen products at various ports across the country.
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China to fully reopen borders and shelve mandatory quarantine from January 8
Infections have also been linked to contaminated packaging of imported frozen food, even though most scientists overseas say there is a very slim chance of this happening, given that the virus cannot survive for too long on surfaces.
China’s strict regulations on imported cold chain meat and sea foods have affected international firms, some of whom have seen their products removed from the shelves of major supermarkets across China while authorities test for traces of the virus.
