Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 in terms of Food Safety and Prevention Methods

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2, which was seen for the first time in Wuhan China in December 2019, is the causative agent of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that caused a pandemic and resulted in the death of important numbers of people wordwide. In this study, the potential interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with food products and potential risks, the cross contamination probability, the practices that the food handlers can follow to prevent the contamination and the spread of the virus, what are the basic principles that consumers can apply for the prevention from this virus are discussed. So far, there is no data on the transmission of this virus through food products but the asemptomatic food handlers that might carry this virus can be the potential transmission route to the food chain. In order to prevent the presence and spread of this virus in food chain; food handlers should follow the basic personel hygienic rules, they should be educated routinely for the virus and potential contaminants, the hygiene practices in food production system should be carefully applied, the cross contamination risk in food products should be eliminated and for the consumers; fresh and ready-to-eat products should be stored for a period of time before the consumption. These are the main precautions to prevent the presence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 in food products and food chain. 

Keywords

• SARS-CoV-2,COVID-19,Food Contamination,Food Safety,Pandemic

Gıda Güvenliği Açısından COVID-19 Etmeni SARS-CoV-2’nin Değerlendirilmesi ve Korunma Yöntemleri

Öz

Çin’in Wuhan şehrinde 2019 yılının Aralık ayında ortaya çıkan ve koronavirüs hastalığına (COVID-19) sebep olan yeni koronavirüs (SARS-CoV-2) büyük bir küresel salgına dönüşerek dünyada pek çok kişinin ölümüne yol açmıştır. Bu virüsün gıdalar aracılığı ile bulaştığına ve gıdalar ile alındığında hastalık yaptığına dair bugüne kadar bir kanıt bulunmamakla birlikte, gıda üretim süreçlerinde yer alan ve herhangi bir belirti göstermeden bu virüsü taşıyan gıda çalışanlarınca gıdalara bulaştırılabileceği üzerinde durulmaktadır. Kişisel tedbirler gibi gıda üreticileri ve hazırlayıcılarının da ellerini düzenli yıkaması, çalışanların bilgi düzeylerinin ve farkındalıklarının sürekli arttırılması, gıda işletmelerinde hijyen-sanitasyon uygulamalarının dikkatlice uygulanması, çiğ ve pişmiş gıdaların ayrılması, özellikle taze meyve-sebze ve tüketime hazır gıdaların satın alınmalarını takiben belirli süreler bekletildikten sonra tüketilmesi gibi uygulamalar bu virüsün gıda zincirine girmesi ve buradan yayılmasını önlemek için alınması gerekli temel tedbirler olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu çalışmada SARS-CoV-2’nin gıdalarda bulunabilirliğine dair olası riskler, gıdalara çapraz bulaşma ihtimalleri, gıda işletmelerinin SARS-CoV-2 açısından güvenli hale getirilmesi ve korunma yöntemleri, gıda tüketicisi açısından SARS-CoV-2’nin değerlendirilmesi konularına değinilmiş, SARS-CoV-2 ve muhtemel gıda etkileşimi hakkında bilgiler verilmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• SARS-CoV-2,COVID-19,Gıdalara Bulaşması,Gıda Güvenliği,Pandemi

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