SARS-CoV-2 and food hygiene

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV 2, is an acute respiratory syndrome and is easily transmitted between people. The disease first started in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and then quickly spread to more than 200 countries. In March 2020, the World Health Organization announced the outbreak of the disease as a global epidemic, and it is a great challenge that has affected all nations. Initially, governments in various countries, to prevent the spread of this disease, took stubborn measures, including complete lockdown. It seems that little attention has been paid to food hygiene and its association with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 is possible through food department staff to food products and food contact surfaces. Recently, cases of survival of SARS-CoV 2 through various surfaces have been reported. The possibility of transmission and survival of SARS-CoV2 via food is discussed based on previous information for other respiratory viruses such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. Nevertheless, studies are needed to survey the possibility of its transmission and survival via food. In the face of challenges such as the current epidemic, the flexibility of a system such as the food industry is critical to protecting producers' and consumers' health to reduce the risk of outbreaks by implementing new approaches.