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Chinese authorities say a sample from the packaging of a shipment of tripe from New Zealand tested positive for Covid-19 genetic material, but the government says there is nothing to point to the New Zealand product as the source.
Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor said the product was stored in a cold storage facility along with meat products from other countries.
“There is no evidence that the New Zealand product was the source of Covid-19 in the packaging of the products at the cold storage facility,” O’Connor said.
“We have strong national controls for Covid-19 and a great track record in managing the disease.
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Tom Lee / Stuff
“There is no evidence that the New Zealand product was the source of Covid-19 in the packaging,” says Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor.
“New Zealand food and fiber exporters have responded well to managing the risk of Covid-19 transmission, keeping their workers and products safe and their exports flowing.”
New Zealand officials remained in contact with their Chinese counterparts, he said.
Reuters reported that during the weekend the Chinese city of Jinan found coronavirus in beef and tripe and packaging of products from Brazil, Bolivia and New Zealand, while two other provincial capitals detected it in packaging of pork from Argentina.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday that she had been told New Zealand’s beef exports were stocked with products from Argentina, which tested positive for Covid-19 in China.
Chinese authorities had not officially informed New Zealand of the discovery of the coronavirus.
New Zealand exported $ 3.173 billion of meat and edible offal to China in the year ended September, accounting for 38 percent of total meat exports and making it the country’s largest meat export market, according to Stats NZ.
The Executive Director of the Meat Industry Association, Sirma Karapeeva, said the organization was aware of the reports of the Covid-19 positive test of New Zealand tripe packaging.
“It is important to remember that there is no evidence that this product was in fact the source. After all, it was stored alongside products from other countries.
“Also, we don’t have visibility into how the product is handled and distributed once it passes through a port in China. The risk of transmission of Covid-19 through food or food packaging is also negligible, ”he said.
The industry had been working with the Covid-19 protocols developed with the Ministry of Primary Industries, providing guidance and a minimum standard for the operation of processors.
Employees observed physical distancing and underwent temperature controls. Companies recorded who worked on the sites and on what team or bubble, to facilitate tracking and tracing.
