On February 8, 2021, GCCA joined 19 other representatives of the food and beverage critical infrastructure in requesting a meeting with leadership within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to discuss concerns that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) may shift their scientific conclusions that consumers cannot contract COVID-19 by eating foods or handling food packaging. This narrative directly contradicts the unified agreement amongst the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), FDA, USDA, peer global regulatory bodies, and leading food safety experts that there is NO evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with eating food or handling food packaging. As the Chinese government continues to push this unsubstantiated claim, it could create challenges for the reputation of refrigerated and frozen foods by fostering misunderstanding among consumers at a critical moment when clarity is needed most. GCCA urges the U.S. government to recommend that the WHO commission a panel of objective and independent virus experts to review the evidence presented by the Chinese government.

Read the meeting request here.

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