The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Seafood Safety and Human Health

Nikheel Bhojraj Rathod; Nariman Elabed; Fatih Özogul; Joe M Regenstein; Charis M Galanakis; Sulaiman Omar Aljaloud; Salam A Ibrahim

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.875164

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Seafood Safety and Human Health

Front Microbiol. 2022 Jun 22:13:875164. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.875164. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Nikheel Bhojraj Rathod¹, Nariman Elabed², Fatih Özogul³, Joe M Regenstein⁴, Charis M Galanakis^{5

6}, Sulaiman Omar Aljaloud⁷, Salam A Ibrahim⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Post Harvest Management of Meat, Poultry and Fish, Post-graduate Institute of Post-harvest Management (Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth), Raigad, India.
² Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Bioactive Molecules (LIP-MB), National Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (INSAT), University of Carthage, Carthage, Tunisia.
³ Department of Seafood Processing Technology, Faculty of Fisheries, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
⁴ Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
⁵ Research and Innovation Department, Galanakis Laboratories, Chania, Greece.
⁶ Food Waste Recovery Group, ISEKI Food Association, Vienna, Austria.
⁷ College of Sports Science and Physical Activity, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Food Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, 171 Carver Hall, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, NC, United States.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused several negative impacts on global human health and the world's economy. Food and seafood safety and security were among the principal challenges and causes of concern for the food industry and consumers during the spread of this global pandemic. This article focused on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on potential safety issues with seafood products and their processing methods. Moreover, the potential impacts of coronavirus transmission through seafood on human health were evaluated. The role of authenticity, traceability, and antimicrobials from natural sources to preserve seafood and the possible interaction of functional foods on the human immune system are also discussed. Although seafood is not considered a principal vector of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, the possible infections through contaminated surfaces of such food products cannot be neglected. The positive effects of seafood consumption on possible immunity built up, and COVID-19 are also summarized.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; functional foods; natural antimicrobials; seafood processing; seafood safety.

Publication types

Review