The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently released an updated document with guidance for preventing transmission of COVID-19 within food businesses.

The main takeaway from the article is that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that results in COVID-19 in humans, can neither be spread by food nor by food packaging. 

The FAO recommends that the food industry and authorities regulating the food industry protect all workers from the spread of COVID-19 by providing a safe work environment, promoting personal hygiene, and providing training on food hygiene principles. 

The updated guidance replaces the FAO/World Health Organization interim guidance, entitled "COVID-19 and food safety: guidance for food businesses," published on April 7, 2020. The earlier guidelines were initially criticized by members of the food safety community and others for implying that SARS-CoV-2 was a food safety issue.