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China has imposed strict regulations on imported cold chain meat and sea foods that have affected international firms. Photo: Bloomberg

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 trade

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

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.

In addition to disinfection measures, China has enforced frequent testing and monitoring, required the establishment of traceability systems for food imports, as well health certificates and other documentation.

Week-long bans have been imposed on exporters from countries including Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia and Russia after some of their cold-chain products tested positive.

Do claims Covid-19 spread to China via frozen food merit serious study?

The policies have resulted in heightened costs for cold chain companies, although the World Health Organization said in 2020 that “it is highly unlikely that people can contract Covid-19 from food or food packaging”.

In the first six months of this year, Chinese customs issued remote inspections on 182 cold chain import companies, and suspended 60 businesses from importing into China over contamination fears.

In 2020, Beijing authorities linked a cluster outbreak to a chopping board that had been used for imported salmon, while cases among port workers in Qingdao were linked to the packaging of imported frozen cod.

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Salmon import ban and partial lockdown for Beijing after new Covid-19 cases in Chinese capital

Salmon import ban and partial lockdown for Beijing after new Covid-19 cases in Chinese capital

The same year, Tianjin also reported multiple port workers to have tested positive after contact with imported frozen meat and seafood.

Following the incidents, the restrictions on imported cold chains were tightened in early 2021.

In December last year, the port city of Dalian in northern Liaoning province suspended all cold chain food trading, with outbreaks of coronavirus threatening to halt exports of frozen food to the United States and Europe ahead of the Christmas holiday.

All cold chain food companies, including government-approved, third-party, bonded and individual cold storage food producers and sales firms were asked to halt operations immediately as local outbreaks escalated.

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