Ice Cream Samples Test Positive For Coronavirus In China: Reports

Vaccines for the novel coronavirus may have given a boost in the fight against the pandemic. New discoveries linked to the deadly virus, however, continue to surprise the experts more than a year after China reported the world's first case. In north China's Tianjin city, ice cream samples have tested positive, say reports.

Contact tracing is on after the samples - produced by Tianjin Daqiaodao Food Company - sent to the disease control last week tested positive for COVID-19, UK-based Sky news reported.

Anti-epidemic authorities have ensured all the products by the firm are sealed. A virologist told the news network it may be a "one-off case". "It's likely this has come from a person, and without knowing the details, I think this is probably a one-off," Dr Stephen Griffin told Sky News, adding the development was "unlikely to be a cause for panic".

The firm, as per the preliminary epidemiological investigations, produced the batch of ice cream using raw materials such as milk powder imported from New Zealand and whey powder imported from Ukraine, reported Xinhua, official state-run press agency of the People's Republic of China. More than 1,600 employees of Tianjin Daqiaodao were placed under quarantine, the report said.

Last year, living coronavirus was found on frozen food packaging in China. In a statement, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and living novel coronavirus being isolated from the outer packaging of cold-chain food. Earlier in July, China suspended imports of frozen shrimp after the deadly virus was found on packages and the inner wall of a container.

Allaying fears, the World Health Organization has said in August: "People should not fear food, food packaging or delivery of food."

A WHO team is in Wuhan, which reported the first case, is trying to trace the origin for the highly infectious virus.