Food Industry Resources

COVID-19 Toolkit

The US government has created a COVID-19 Toolkit specific to your community with all the resources you need to keep yourself and others safe from COVID-19.

No Evidence to Support Food Associated Transmission of COVID-19

USDA & FDA | No Transmission of COVID-19 through Food or Food Packaging. Posted on February 19, 2021.
USDA & FDA | Food Export Restrictions Pertaining to COVID-19. Posted on June 30, 2020.
EFSA | Statement regarding Food Associated Transmission of COVID-19. Posted on March 17, 2020.
German Institute of Risk Assessment | Statement regarding Food Associated Transmission of COVID-19. Posted on March 17, 2020.

State of the Food Industry

COVID-19 Food Industry Needs Assessment Survey

A needs assessment survey was conducted to identify the needs of the US food industry in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 in their facilities and operations and to assess the ongoing adoption of COVID-19 mitigation strategies in the work environment. This document provides a brief description of the major preliminary findings.

Resources & Guidance

General Resources

CDC | COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Recommendations. Posted on March 23, 2022.
NY FarmNet | Stress Management Support for the Agricultural Industry in NYS. Posted on November 30, 2021.
CREE | Impact of COVID-19 on Food and Agricultural Systems. Posted on November 18, 2021.
OSHA | Workers' Rights Fact Sheet under the "COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard." Posted on November 12, 2021.
CDC | Guidance for Implementing COVID-19 Prevention Strategies. Posted on July 28, 2021.
FDA Center for Food Safety and Nutrition | Submit your COVID-19 Food Safety Questions Directly to the FDA. Posted on March 20, 2020.

Food Industry Guidance

Cornell University | Guidance for Increasing Vaccine Uptake Among Employees in the Food Industry. Posted on January 12, 2023.
NYS Department of Health | Updated Isolation & Quarantine Guidance. Posted on May 31, 2022.
FAO | Updated Guidance for Preventing Transmission of COVID-19 within Food Businesses. Posted on August 6, 2021.
NYS Department of Labor | Information about the NYS HERO ACT. Posted on July 13, 2021.
CDC | Guidelines on Ventilation as a Mitigation Strategy. Posted on December 8, 2020.
Food Industry Association | COVID-19 Guidance and Resources for the Food Industry. Posted on March 17, 2020.

When an Employee Tests Positive

CDC | COVID-19 Critical Infrastructure Sector Response Planning. Posted on April 13, 2020.

Guidance on Social Distancing

Food Northwest | Guidelines on Social Distancing in Food Manufacturing Facilities. Posted on March 30, 2020.

Personal Hygiene Guidance

Hand Hygiene

FDA | Safely Using Hand Sanitizer. Posted on March 30, 2020.
CDC | When and How to Wash Your Hands. Posted on March 17, 2020.
CDC | Hand-washing: Clean Hands Save Lives. Posted on March 17, 2020.
CDC | Hand-washing Guidance in Spanish. Posted on March 17, 2020.

Respiratory Hygiene

CDC | Information on Proper N95 Respirator Use. Posted on January 13, 2022.
CDC | Performing a Proper Seal Check when Using a Respirator. Posted on January 13, 2022.
NPPTL | How to Identify Counterfeit Respirators. Posted on January 13, 2022.
CDC | List of NIOSH Approved N95 Respirators. Posted on January 13, 2022.
CDC | Facial Hairstyles and the Performance of Respirators. Posted on September 14, 2021.
CDC | Use and Care of Masks. Posted on February 10, 2021.
CDC | Coughing and Sneezing Etiquette. Posted on April 8, 2020.

Cleaning & Sanitation Guidance

IFS@CU | Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Hygienic Design. Posted on October 19, 2022.
EPA | Products Tested Directly Against COVID-19. Posted on July 7, 2020.
EPA | 6 Steps for Safe and Effective Disinfectant Use. Posted on May 15, 2020.
EPA | Search Tool for Approved Disinfectants. Posted on May 15, 2020.
CCE | How to Safely Use Cleaning and Sanitizing Chemicals. Posted on May 7, 2020.
NYSDEC, Bureau of Pesticides Management | Information About Approved Chemicals. Posted on March 17, 2020.

Resources & Guidance Archive

Some of the resources from this page have been archived in an effort to highlight relevant information. Please note that information in this document may be outdated and links may no longer function.

Additional Resources by Commodity

Dairy

Dairy-related Resources

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin | COVID-19 Resources. Posted on March 25, 2020.
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association | Information for Cheese Makers on COVID-19. Posted on March 20, 2020.
National Milk Producers Federation | Coronavirus Update. Posted on March 17, 2020.

Produce

Produce-related Resources

IFS@CU & PSA | Protecting Yourself and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19. Updated on September 4, 2020.
IFS@CU & PSA | Protéjase y prevenga la propagación de COVID-19. Updated on September 4, 2020.
Western Growers, United Fresh & AFFI | Guidance for Fruit and Vegetable Farm Operators and Processors. Posted on June 11, 2020.
CCE | COVID-19 Video for Farm Workers in Spanish. Posted on April 13, 2020.
Cornell Farmworker Program | COVID-19 Resources for Agricultural Workers in Spanish. Posted on March 19, 2020.
PASA Sustainable Agriculture | COVID-19 Guidelines for Farmers. Posted on March 19, 2020.
Western Growers | COVID-19 Employer Guidance and Resources. Posted on March 18, 2020.
California Leafy Green Marketing Agreement | COVID-19 Prevention: A Dozen Things to Know About Leafy Greens. Posted on March 17, 2020.

Meat

Meat-related Resources

North American Meat Institute | Report on Reduced Incidence Rates in Meat and Poultry Industry Employees After Implementing Mitigation Strategies. Posted on February 9, 2020.
IFS@CU | Wet Market and COVID-19 Factsheet. Posted on May 22, 2020.

Seafood

Seafood-related Resources

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Q&A: COVID-19 Pandemic – Impact on Fisheries and Aquaculture. Posted on June 18, 2020.
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute | COVID-19 Resources for the Alaska Seafood Industry. Posted on April 21, 2020.
National Fisheries Institute | COVID-19 and the Safety of Seafood. Posted on March 22, 2020.

Restaurant

Restaurant-related Resources

OSHA | COVID-19 Guidance for Restaurants. Posted on November 16, 2020.
National Restaurant Association | COVID-19 Information and Resources for the Restaurant Industry. Posted on May 1, 2020.

This work is supported by USDA NIFA AFRI Grant NO:2020-68006-32875/ Accession no. 1024254 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed on this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the USDA.