Coronavirus poses no risk in food. The Health Ministry circular (later borrowed from EFSA) complements the measures and recommendations adopted by the Italian government with specific measures pertaining to the agribusiness chain. With the aim of ensuring the continuity of supplies, under conditions of absolute security, even in restricted areas.
Safe food, NO to ‘virus-free‘ certificates
Ministry of Health Circular 2.3.20 – ‘
coronavirus emergency, veterinary public health and food safety.
‘ – is aimed first of all to clarify that the virus is not transmissible to humans either from domestic (and ‘domesticated,’ farmed) animals or through food.
‘First of all, it should be reiterated that at present there is no scientific evidence of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus , the etiological agent of the disease COVID-19, from pets to humans and through food. Food safety continues to be guaranteed by current regulations, and therefore any requests for certification in this regard and unplanned are to be considered inappropriate’.
Therefore, ‘virus-free‘ certificates on food products are completely meaningless technically and legally. Let us add some considerations in this regard:
– member states may not hinder or tolerate obstacles to the free movement of goods in the Internal Market (except by scientifically demonstrating the existence of a risk and taking safeguard measures proportionate to it),
– private operators who adopt discriminatory measures against foodstuffs originating from Italian territory expose themselves to censure and sanction by the national and European authorities in charge of competition supervision(antitrust),
– the European Commission is responsible for overseeing the proper functioning of the Internal Market. And omissions of dutiful acts of office, as announced in other prominent cases, will not be without effect.
Food supply chains and public controls
Continuity of operations in the agri-food supply chains in Italy is essential to ensure the supply of primary goods(food security) and animal welfare, as well as the economy and employment in the territories. Therefore, the Ministry of Health has provided special measures to be applied to public veterinary controls and food production in restricted areas related to the Covid-19 emergency (‘red zones‘).
Veterinary public activity
The activities of public veterinary services can be modulated in relation to control priorities. They can then be deferred, up to 30 days:
– Scheduled checks for state prophylaxis and surveillance plans,
– Animal fostering operations by health kennels and shelters,
– Front-office activities not closely related to activities deemed essential.
They are indifferent vice versa because of the risk (health and animal welfare) and high economic impact:
– Farm inspections in case of suspicion, and related management activities, of the diseases subject to mandatory reporting, (1)
– Veterinary checks under the Plans on Avian Influenza and African Swine Fever,
– Controls related to food and feed alert notifications (RASFF),
– Home visits of biting animals, (2)
– Veterinary inspections provided for slaughtering, including special emergency inspections.
Production and livestock activities
Animal welfare and management needs postulate continuity without interruption or deferral of the activities that follow:
– milk collection,
– Collection of eggs from farms and packing stations,
– Supply of pet food,
– Supply of animal products and germinal material, including those from other EU countries,
– Collection and processing of animal by-products,
– Supply of veterinary drugs,
– Receipt and processing of carcasses derived from special emergency slaughtering, including within ‘red zones’,
– treatment of livestock wastes,
– Management of food processing and packaging facilities, perishable ones first and foremost,
– The care and management of animals in livestock and shelter facilities.
Animal Movements
Ensuring adequate animal welfare conditions also requires that animal movements to and from restricted areas should not be deferred. Specifically in the following cases:
– movement of live and slaughter animals to avoid overcrowding of facilities,
– Handling of chicks from hatcheries,
– Capture of stray dogs and rescue of injured dogs, cats and other animals,
– Slaughter of animals, including special emergency slaughter.
Specific ASL-validated procedures are established for the handling and tracking of loading and unloading personnel, vehicles, and routes taken.
The lesson of Italian veterinarians
Public and private veterinarians first and foremost are responsible for Italy’s planetary leadership in ensuring food safety. We consider it useful to share a general note on how to deal with the current emergency, by Professors Sergio Rosati and Luigi Bertolotti of the Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin. (3)
‘The virus is not the Black Death but it is not a trivial flu either.’ This is because we have no immunological memory or herd immunity. And while-as the Nobel laureate in medicine Luc Montagnier himself recommends, it is necessary to strengthen one’s immune system-this implies that, ‘even in the absence of severe forms, a large portion of the working-age population would be stranded for weeks with imaginable repercussions on the national economy. So welcome the restriction measures currently in use to curb at least the major epidemic outbreaks’.
‘Our appeal to students who have already developed a sensitivity and awareness of animal disease control measures is to treasure your knowledge and be an active participant in risk communication, not overly alarming but not underestimating the problem.’
The truth is that no one knows how it will turn out. The precautionary principle, if applied well, will never be appreciated enough if the health problem then does not occur. Whereas an underestimation of the danger, in the presence of an out-of-control epidemic, would spark a revolution.The difficulty of making the right decision is a thin thread that binds these two extremes.’
Dario Dongo and Martina Novelli
Notes
(1) Pursuant to the Veterinary Police Regulations set forth in Presidential Decree No. 320/1954
(2) Home visits of biting animals may be temporarily replaced by telephone interviews aimed at acquiring information on rabies vaccination, places where the animal is staying, possible presence of symptoms attributable to this zoonosis
(3)
The thin thread that binds precautionary principle and underestimation of danger
. National Federation of Italian Veterinary Orders (FNOVI), 27.2.20
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Graduated in International Relations at the Sapienza University of Rome, she followed the Master in Law & Foody Safety of the University of Bologna.
