March 17, 2025

As food safety managers, you play a critical role in both implementing proper safety protocols and communicating accurate information to staff and consumers. A common question since the emergence of COVID-19 has been whether the virus can be transmitted through food consumption. Let’s address this concern with current scientific evidence about COVID-19 contamination in food.

COVID-19 Contamination and Food: The Current Evidence

According to the CDC, FDA, WHO, and other leading health authorities, there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted through food consumption. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, primarily spreads through:

Respiratory droplets when infected individuals cough, sneeze, or talk
Close person-to-person contact
Contact with contaminated surfaces followed by touching the eyes, nose, or mouth

Unlike foodborne pathogens such as Listeria or E. coli, SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus that requires host cells in the respiratory system to replicate. Even if the virus were present on food, it would need to survive:

The acidic environment of the stomach
Digestive enzymes throughout the gastrointestinal tract

Both conditions significantly reduce viral viability, making food consumption an extremely unlikely transmission route.

Food Packaging Considerations for COVID-19 Contamination

While the virus may potentially survive on packaging surfaces for short periods, the risk of transmission via food packaging is considered very low. Standard food safety cleaning and sanitizing procedures effectively eliminate the virus from surfaces.

Focus Areas for Food Safety Managers

Rather than concerning yourself with the unlikely transmission through food itself, focus on:

Worker Health Screening: Implement consistent protocols to ensure food handlers with COVID-19 symptoms or exposure are excluded from the workplace
Respiratory Hygiene: Ensure proper mask wearing according to current local guidelines
Enhanced Handwashing: Reinforce the importance of thorough and frequent handwashing
Surface Sanitization: Maintain rigorous cleaning schedules for high-touch surfaces in your facility
Social Distancing: Configure workstations to maximize distance between employees where possible

Communication Approach

When addressing staff or customer concerns:

Provide clear, science-based information
Emphasize that standard food safety protocols remain effective
Highlight the additional measures your facility has implemented
Direct them to credible sources like the FDA or CDC for further information

By focusing on these established risk mitigation strategies, food safety managers can effectively protect both staff and consumers while maintaining confidence in the safety of the food supply chain.

Boar’s Head Listeria-what you need to know.

The role of a Certified Food Protection Manager is to stand as the first and most critical line of defense for public health. The 2024 Boar’s Head listeria crisis brought this responsibility into sharp focus. This event, linked to Boar’s Head products, isn’t just news—it’s a powerful case study for any food professional in Minnesota. The outbreak, which began in mid-2024, ultimately resulted in 61 illnesses and 10 tragic fatalities. Officials traced all of these back to a single production facility.

This incident highlights the serious real-world consequences of sanitation failures and the absolute necessity of stringent food safety protocols. Let’s break down the key lessons from this event for every food manager.

1. The Outbreak: A Failure at the Source

The timeline of the crisis shows how quickly a localized problem can become a national tragedy. Health officials identified a cluster of listeria cases and, through investigation, traced the outbreak to its source: the Boar’s Head facility in Jarratt, Virginia. Officials determined the cause was inadequate sanitation practices that allowed Listeria to contaminate the processing environment.

This single-point failure is a powerful reminder for any manager in Minnesota.

Pathogens are persistent: Listeria is a uniquely stubborn bacterium. It can thrive and grow in cold, wet environments—like a production plant or your own walk-in cooler. This is why active cleaning and sanitation, not just passive storage, are critical.
Traceability is non-negotiable: The ability of health officials to trace 61 separate illnesses back to a single plant underscores its importance. This same principle applies to your operation: you must be able to track your products from receiving to serving.

You cannot see the threat: Listeria does not change the appearance, smell, or taste of food. This is why we, as food professionals, must rely on our systems and training, not our senses, to protect our customers.

2. The Response: Containment and Legal Fallout

In response to the outbreak, Boar’s Head initiated a massive recall of over 7 million pounds of deli meats, including liverwurst, ham, salami, and bologna. The Jarratt plant was permanently closed, and the company announced it would stop producing liverwurst entirely.

Severe legal and financial consequences followed this immediate corporate response.

Legal accountability: The fallout included numerous lawsuits from affected consumers and the families of victims. Someone filed a $20 million wrongful death lawsuit, and class-action lawsuits are still ongoing.
The financial cost: The cost of a 7-million-pound recall, the permanent closure of a production plant, and the ongoing legal battles represents a devastating financial blow. It proves that investing in food safety is always cheaper than paying for a food safety failure.

3. The Boar's Head Listeria Lesson: What Every CFPM Must Know

For food protection managers, the most alarming detail from this crisis is that the USDA’s investigation revealed prior health violations at the Jarratt plant. This outbreak was preventable, which is why this incident serves as a critical reminder of our professional responsibility.

This is where the role of a Certified Food Protection Manager becomes a legal and financial shield.

Documentation is your defense: Those prior violations highlight the importance of our daily logs. Your temperature, sanitation, and receiving logs are not just “paperwork.” They are your legal, documented proof that you are practicing due diligence and actively preventing foodborne illness.
Your team is your responsibility: You must train your team to be your eyes and ears. They must understand why they are following procedures—from handwashing to checking receiving temperatures—and be empowered to speak up if they see a protocol being missed.
You are the last line of defense: You’re the final checkpoint in the food supply chain. You place trust in your suppliers, but you must also verify their work. A manager with a strong food safety culture is the best defense against this kind of crisis.

This Boar’s Head listeria crisis is a stark reminder of the immense responsibility we hold. Rigorous food safety practices are not optional. As a Certified Food Protection Manager, you are the leader who upholds these standards, protects public health, and fosters consumer confidence in our food supply.

Stay Prepared with Safe Food Training

Don’t wait for a crisis to test your team’s knowledge. Whether you need your initial 8-hour food licensing certification or your three-year continuing education, our friendly, personalized, and effective training is tailored for Minnesota food professionals. Visit us at safefoodtraining.com to register for an upcoming course.

Day: March 17, 2025

Shocking Truth: Is Your Food Really Safe from COVID-19 Contamination?