FDA PSA tells consumers food is safe during pandemic
The Food and Drug Administration’s Frank Yiannas, has a message for consumers: food is available and it is safe.
The FDA released a 30-second public service announcement April 2 to quash confusion and misinformation about the food supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PSA is available for networks and online media. It reiterates the message the FDA and the fresh produce industry has publicized since the virus began spreading in the U.S.: there is no evidence of human or animal food or food packaging being associated with the transmission of the coronavirus.
Yiannas, deputy commissioner for food policy and response for the FDA, narrated the PSA and spoke to members of the media on April 2.
The agency is working to ensure that the food supply chain is not disrupted, he said.
He said the agency doesn’t anticipate that food products need to be recalled or withdrawn from the market should a person who works in a facility test positive for COVID-19.
The FDA is posting guidance on its website for consumers and industry members, and also talking with industry leaders about concerns, Yiannas said.
Supply chain sound
Empty supermarket shelves in some areas are not indicative of a problem with the food supply.
“Based on our communication with the industry, and this is largely an issue of unprecedented demand, not a lack of capacity to produce, process and deliver food,” he said.
The FDA is working with the food industry to monitor the supply chain for shortages, Yiannas said.
Government and the media must reassure consumers that hoarding food is not necessary, he said.
“(Consumers) should buy what they normally buy, about a week or two of groceries, and leave some for others,” he said.
Yiannas praised the “everyday heroes” who bring food to the market.
“A personal shout-out to all those men and women from farm food production facilities, warehouses, truckers, to our local grocery stores, that are working hard every day to ensure we, the American people, have access to safe and available food,” he said.
Doubts
One reporter asked if the FDA or other government officials had done any studies on the transmission of the coronavirus by food.
Yiannas said he wasn’t aware of any such research, but said previous coronavirus types have long been known to spread by human-to-human transmission.
Past research indicates that ingestion is not a route of transmission, while Yiannas said exposure to droplets, touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes or your nose is.
“There’s no evidence that it’s transmitted by food,” he said.
Another member of the media asked if the experience of Italy and Spain suggests that the U.S. might see a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables in coming months.
Yiannas said he couldn’t speak to Europe’s fresh produce situation, but he said the U.S. supply chains are sound and resilient.
The agency has temporarily paused surveillance inspections but is continuing “mission-critical” or urgent inspection needs.
“The FDA staff appears to be well and healthy by and large, and we continue to provide an important oversight function of the nation’s food system,” he said.
Yiannas said he is part of the White House task force on food supply chains.
“We’re all working together with our respective expertise, to monitor supply chains and do what we can to ensure the American people continue to have access to safe and affordable foods,” he said.
Federal health guidance advises employers in the food sector about social distancing, and that workers with the virus stay home.
“We’ve asked food producers, that wherever applicable, (that) they should try to make provisions to try to accommodate such practices (such as social distancing),” he said.
Yiannas said the FDA is working on an estimate how much retail demand for food has grown since mid-March, when restrictions on restaurants began in earnest.
FDA answers food safety questions related to COVID-19
