Expert: Food can't get infected with COVID-19, contamination possible

COVID-19 will not spread from food to food but may be contaminated, an expert from China’s National Health Commission said on Tuesday, adding that there have been no reports of the novel coronavirus being foodborne anywhere in the world. 

The expert said data shows that food cannot be infected with the coronavirus, but it can get contaminated. In other words, the virus can loosely attach itself to the surface of food but not invade the tissue.

She said there are two possible ways food can get contaminated with the virus. One is contamination from food packaging materials containing the virus, and the other is contamination from food processors carrying the virus.