COVID-19 and Food Safety

We are in unprecedented times fighting an ongoing global pandemic. Recently a group of academic professionals shared input on the risk of COVID-19 transmission through food and food packaging. We encourage you to read the linked article from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and utilize the discussion points to guide your conversations around the globe.

No Evidence COVID-19 Is Transmitted Through Food and Food Packaging

Discussion Points

• What is the overall consensus from the article? What are your initial thoughts/reactions?
• It shares that the information provided is gathered from many agencies and organizations from different parts of the world. Do you feel the message is more valid coming from diverse groups from diverse locations? Why or why not?
• There is so much information out there regarding COVID-19 (and many topics for that matter). How do you decipher reliable and valid sources versus those that are not?

*This is an educational blog for educational purposes. Any information shared in this blog is not meant as medical or legal advice from the Global Agriculture Learning Center, Hawkeye Community College, or any employees or volunteers of the fore mentioned.*

Tilapia in Danger

There is a new virus that has been discovered that is causing tilapia fish to die around the world. This is affecting wild and farm raised tilapia. Linked below is an article that discusses the details behind this new virus that is having a huge impact on tilapia production and implications on feeding our world. Use the discussion points below to guide your conversations around the world in classrooms to coffee shops.

Researchers Discover New Fish Virus

Discussion Points

• Why are talapia so important to feeding our world?
• Explain how the talapia is truly a global fish.
• How did researchers determine this was a new virus affecting talapia?
• Why is it troubling that the same new virus was found so far apart throughout the world?
• Hypothesize how the disease could have traveled so far, as it is affecting talapia in Israel and Ecuador.
• How would you recommend to stop the spread of this new virus among talapia?