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NAMI: Meat not at risk where virus diagnosed

The North American Meat Institute says consumers should be aware that they cannot get sick from eating meat processed in a plant where workers have become ill with COVID-19. Julie Anna Potts is president of the North American Meat Institute tells Brownfield Ag News, “Under normal circumstances, pathogen control is job number ONE.”

Potts says they are following CDC guidelines for prevention of COVID-19 spread on top of their normal, stringent sanitation measures.

Potts says meat packaging and other surface areas are in plants are also not a transmission risk, “Masks, gloves, all of the things that would protect surfaces from being in contact with anyone are in place.” Government officials with USDA and FDA have stressed from the beginning of the outbreak that the virus is NOT a foodborne illness.

Since Brownfield Ag News interviewed Potts last week, an increasing number of meat processing plants have temporarily closed operations because of growing cases of COVID-19 among workers.