Chinese shoppers wary of virus on imported food

The discovery of food contaminated with coronavirus in China has caused alarm among some shoppers there, although the World Health Organisation and also U.S. Food and Drug Administration say there's no evidence food is a source of infection.

Two cities in China reported that they found the virus in frozen chicken wings imported from Brazil and shrimp from Ecuador on Thursday.

This man says he won't be choosing imported products as the virus situation abroad is far more serious than in China.

Austin Hu, the chef at a high-end Shanghai restaurant said they experienced delays in receiving live seafood like oysters after the incident as authorities stepped up checks and consumer confidence had been affected.

Still, other shoppers said that they were placing their trust in the authorities and in food sellers.

The coronavirus emerged in China late last year and initial studies did suggest that the first outbreak originated in animal products at a Wuhan market.

Fears of the risks from imported frozen food first arose when the virus was found on a chopping board in a Beijing market in June.

The vendor had used the board to handle imported salmon.

When asked about imports from Brazil, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said authorities were engaging with the relevant country and did not comment on whether imports would be restricted.