Hong Kong Finds COVID Virus In Imported Brazilian Meat And Polish Frozen Pork Skin

JAKARTA - Hong Kong authorities have found the corona virus in samples taken from packages of frozen meat imported from Brazil and frozen pork skins from Poland. He promised to carry out further inspections of imported food.

The global business hub uses the same 'zero-COVID dynamic' strategy as mainland China. Strategy aims to eradicate any plague by any means possible. Authorities are on high alert as the new wave of infections is proving more difficult to control.

The daily number of cases this year jumped sharply, hitting a record 7,533 cases on Monday, weighing on the government's testing, hospital and quarantine capacity.

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) took 36 samples from a shipment of about 1,100 cartons of frozen meat for testing. The total weight reaches 29 tons and is imported from Brazil by sea. Authorities found samples of one outer and two inner packages that tested positive for COVID.

Authorities also collected 12 samples from a shipment of about 300 cartons of frozen pork skin weighing about 7 tonnes and imported from Poland via sea. One outer packaging tested positive for COVID.

"CSF ordered relevant importers to remove pork and pork skins from similar shipments," the government said in a statement Monday. "In addition, CFS will add samplers from similar products to be tested," said the authority as quoted by Reuters via Antara, Tuesday, February 21.

Hong Kong has monitored COVID on imported frozen food since mid-2020 and found positive samples on packaging of pomfret in August 2021 and packaging of cuttlefish in November 2021.

Authorities say that COVID-19 is mostly transmitted through droplets and cannot reproduce on food or food packaging, and is unlikely to be transmitted to humans through the food we eat.

However, his party urges the public to process raw food separately, pay attention to hygiene rules and cook food until it is fully cooked.

Hong Kong is again emulating mainland China's COVID-19 policies. Unlike other countries, China refers to food packaging as a potential transmission of COVID.

China announced a number of COVID cases found on frozen food packaging, sparking product rejection and complaints from exporters.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said neither the food nor the packaging had a known direction of transmission.