KUWAIT: Kuwait's Public Authority for Food and Nutrition said that the World Health Organization (WHO) has not issued any recommendations for nations to ban the import of foods from China, neither has any country done so.

Based on scientific evidence from global organizations such as WHO and other food safety bodies, food has not been identified as a likely source of transmission of the novel coronavirus, deputy director Reem Al-Felaij said.

The Kuwaiti body said it is closely monitoring food safety reports issued by the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN), a body jointly established by WHO and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization.

It is also aware of necessary precautions to be taken, if need be, in line with the Gulf Cooperation Council regional alert system on the novel coronavirus. The Kuwaiti public was urged to abide by health and hygiene standards during the consumption of food, including the need to ensure that meats are cooked thoroughly before eating. - KUNA