COVID-19: IICMA reassures that ice creams or frozen desserts do not cause virus to spread

PTI, May 13, 2020, 11:16 AM IST

Ahmedabad: What to eat, what not to eat are the most asked questions by everyone around the world during this COVID-19 pandemic. A lot of rumours and misinformation is being circulated that is creating havoc among people.

One such erroneous information that is going around is to avoid frozen desserts or ice creams. But WHO (World Health Organisation) has clarified that no types of ice cream or frozen foods can spread the virus and that there is no scientific evidence to support that claim.

The official press announcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearly mentions that there are no reports of the virus being spread through foods and food packaging.

To avoid all such falsified information, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the food safety regulatory body of India, has clarified that any ice cream, frozen food, and food served cold/chilled does not spread the coronavirus.

In an official statement, the Indian Ice Cream Manufacturer’s Association (IICMA) has said: “One has to verify the authenticity of any information regarding the virus spread, cure or prevention. It is pretty important to maintain hygiene practices for food preparation, storage, and handling it. Many newspapers have posted articles debunking the myths on the consumption of frozen foods and the spread of coronavirus.”

“IICMA requests people not to fall prey to wrong information and happily consume one’s favourite flavours of ice creams in this scorching summer-like always. These frozen desserts will surely light up one’s mood and make one happy during these tough times” the statement read.

“IICMA urges everyone to maintain hygiene, wash hands often, wear a mask while travelling in crowded places, eat balanced diet food, exercise, and most importantly to absorb information only from reliable sources” the statement added.