We’re going through a health crisis, and this won’t come as a surprise to anyone at this point. COVID-19 is wreaking havoc across the globe, affecting just about every aspect of people’s public, professional, and personal lives. And it looks as though very few industries will be spared the effects.  

The food industry seems to be doing better than usual, on the other hand. While there are instances of food shortage panic due to the strain placed on the supply chain of these companies, many of them have taken the opportunity to persevere, to keep bringing sustenance to market. Some even refactored production lines and factories to produce disinfectant and aid in the effort (see here, and here).
 

Food for thought

It is important to note that COVID-19 is not easily spread by way of food. The French food agency ANSES has reported the following: 

• This virus is so far confirmed to only be transmitted human-to-human. This implies that animal (by-)products, by default, do not carry it. 
• While this organism can survive in temperatures as low as -20°C, it does not survive the temperatures used for industrial cooking, which means the prepared meal market is better equipped from the get-go.
• Until now the WHO, EFSA, and other health organizations have not found evidence that COVID-19 is transferable via food. (Sources can be found here and here.) 

Interestingly, this means workers at food manufacturers remain most at risk. We know the virus cannot easily be spread to the general public through food. However, this does not mean workers are immune to contracting COVID-19 in another manner. Nothing indicates food stuffs cannot become carriers if respiratory droplets fall onto them for a short time, similarly to how the virus can survive on other surfaces.

What does this mean? What are food manufacturing companies doing to prevent this disease from spreading in their facilities? It might be time for food manufacturers to borrow some concepts from food defense to extend the reach of food safety measures already in place, thereby protecting the workers alongside the food.
 

What is Food Defense?

To begin, here is a little more information on Food Defense:  

It is a management system based around the assumption contamination by third parties is made with intent. Its principles are to protect against these potential infractions, secure the parameters, and constrain entry for non-identified personnel. Food defense has been part of the major international standards since 2001, with a few differences in how it has been implemented in other regions (in Europe, food defense is found in the IFS, BRC and FSSC 22000 standards). 

The current health crisis shows that the principles of food defense can be applied in a different manner today to extend the reach of food safety. COVID-19 is now clearly at a level of risk that stricter measures are required to protect employees working in the food sector. Here is a short rundown of the main principles of food defense: 

• Risk analyses for the process, all actors, and the facility. 
• Secure the facility. 
• Controlled entry to spaces and facilities. 
• Identify and register all visitor, external workers, and transporters. 

 How can the preventive measures be enhanced to protect employees?
 

Food Safety & Defense

A lot of companies have already started implementing extra measures in trying to keep employees and produce safe. Disinfectant and hand-hygiene stand centerfield in this endeavor. However, the food sector is known to have people working near each other, which increases the risk of contracting this disease.  

Here are some actionable ideas based on food defense to deal with of the issues operational facilities may be facing at this time: 

Social distancing:

Social distancing is one of the most effective ways to limit the spread of COVID-19 in facilities that are still operational. To ensure that employees can work with at least 2 meters (or roughly 6 feet) between them and their colleagues, consider staggered shifts or skeleton crews to operate the production lines. 

Lowering overall risk:  

To minimize exposure to the virus, several measures can be taken. Try to minimize the duration of direct contact when possible. Hygiene is of utmost important (and always has been in the food sector), but now is the time to create follow-ups for the general observation of hygiene and sanitation practices. 

This should include limiting the use of mobile devices. Equipment should be used more out of necessity and should be disinfected after use. Consider more routine cleaning rounds should be made alongside these other measures. 

COVID-19 responses: 

If an employee is confirmed to carry COVID-19, make sure you have response policies in place: immediate isolation is necessary. This is when you should breathing masks nearby because they limit the spread of the virus via respiratory droplets. Please be aware that breathing masks are not as effective in protecting healthy people. 

One additional way to detect infection at an early stage can be to perform a questionnaire for each employee:  

• Are they showing any of the early signs of infection, such as dry throat, sudden loss of taste and smell, or fatigue? 
• Were any of the people in their vicinity diagnosed? 
• Were they in contact with anyone who visited high-risk facilities (healthcare facilities, ambulance drivers or morgue employees)? 

Practice social distancing, but stay connected

Most important, however, is to check–in with employees: see how they’re doing, how they’re coping, and what their concerns are. These are stressful times for many; extra measures at work will likely add to a feeling of unsafety, or of poor well-being. The psychological well-being of everyone should be treated with care, especially during trying times. Please take time in the day to talk to people and listen to their concerns (at a safe distance, of course). 

And it must be said: a crisis like this has not affected us in this way in a long while in Europe. But we’re all in this together, and we can go a long way in supporting each other, thereby keeping everyone safe. 

How is your company dealing with the current crisis? What other ideas do you have to help everyone stay safe?  

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash