SAFIR TRADING INTERNATIONAL GROUPS Acting Based On The  Public Health Management Of Persons With Potential 2019 Novel COVID-19 Guidance, And Are Taking Every Measure Possible To Ensure Your Markets’ Safety And Wellbeing At Every Stage Of Your Shipments With us

COVID-related impact to in-person user research around the globe

The global spread of COVID-19 has impacted how we conduct user research

As travel and face-to-face communication are limited to different degrees across the world, it is challenging to plan research 3-5 weeks out without knowing what type of research may even be possible. Using our global network of UX firms, we tracked the status of research methods possible in key test locations since lockdowns began

We encourage you to reach out to our local partners for the latest COVID-related restrictions that may impact your research. In locations where remote, in-home, or in-lab sessions are still feasible, we advise clients to proceed with caution and plan for the impact of COVID (e.g. budget for larger over-recruit, screen for COVID exposure)

COVID19 and Food Safety

By Pearl McLeod, Development and Outreach Associate

At Center for Food Safety, we define food safety very broadly. To make our food system safer and more environmentally sustainable, we do everything from protecting pollinators from toxic pesticides to improving soil health to reduce climate change. We also do work to ensure FDA’s food testing protocol is as efficient as it can be in the event of a foodborne illness outbreak

We’ve been getting a lot of questions about how to eat safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a roundup of answers to the most frequently asked questions with links to reliable resources to help you stay safe

؟Can I become sick with coronavirus (COVID-19) from food

The USDA states that it is “not aware of any reports at this time of human illnesses that suggest COVID-19 can be transmitted by food or food packaging.” In general, one should still follow good hygiene practices (i.e., wash hands and surfaces often with soap and water, separate raw meat from other foods, cook to the right temperature, and refrigerate foods promptly) when handling or preparing foods

Will food products be recalled that were produced in a facility during which a worker was potentially shedding the virus while working?

FDA does not anticipate that food products would need to be recalled or be withdrawn from the market because of COVID19 as there is currently no evidence to support the transmission of COVID19 associated with food or food packaging

Prior to the pandemic, production facilities have already been required to control risks associated with potentially ill workers. Food production facilities are required to maintain sanitized food contact surfaces and workers are required to take cleanliness steps when working in a facility. Some production facilities have closed their plants out of precaution after one or several employees tested positive for COVID-19, but this should not be a concern for purchasing groceries as long as you are following best hygiene practices in the store, at home, and when handling the products

Can I get sick with COVID-19 from touching food, the food packaging, or food contact surfaces, if the coronavirus was present on it?

According to statements from USDA, CDC, and FDA, “there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19” at this time. Since it is still possible for the virus to survive on surfaces and objects, we recommend following the USDA’s 4 key steps of food safety: clean, separate, cook, and chill

Additionally, you should continue to frequently wash your hands and avoid touching your face and mouth when handling food products from the store or restaurant. It is also a good practice to carefully discard the packaging that a food came in to avoid any possibility of contamination from handling by people who have the virus

Should I avoid takeout or delivery from restaurants?

Food from your local restaurants is still a safe option, especially when you can opt for contactless delivery options or pick-ups. To go the extra mile, we recommend transferring food to your own serving ware, getting rid of the packaging, and washing your hands before eating

Agribusiness Is Using the COVID-19 Crisis to Slash Food-Worker Wages

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed many of our society’s frailties — and here’s a big one: In the 21st century, we still operate our farms and food systems as if they were a 19th-century plantation

Despite the technology and logistics we apply to producing and distributing food, it still turns on exploiting vulnerable people for their labor. Everywhere there are headlines about food-chain workers — the people paid a pittance to pick our vegetables, butcher our meat, stock and ring up our groceries, and perform other essential jobs for all of us — having trouble feeding their own families and even staying healthy themselves

Now, the nation’s food supply chain is disrupted because workers are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 infections because their work environments aren’t safeguarded

Cavalier assurances from the food industry at the start of the pandemic — about food supply disruptions being a temporary matter of adjusting supply and demand through the grocery channel — took some things for granted

While some official guidelines to assure the safety of these “essential workers” do exist, they are seldom enforced, even under ordinary circumstances. How can it be that in one of the world’s most advanced economies (at least that’s what we all thought before the pandemic), “essential workers” can’t earn enough to feed themselves and are compelled to work despite legitimate fear for their lives?