COVID-19 Information and Support for Maine Food Producers and Produce Growers

General COVID-19 Information

• Information about the global COVID-19 outbreak, World Health Organization
• General information and answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19, FDA
• Information on how to protect yourself against COVID-19,CDC
  • Coronavirus Fact Sheet (PDF)
  • What the Public Should Do? (PDF)
  • Clean and Disinfect
• Johns Hopkins global COVID-19 cases
• Information on aerosol and surface stability of COVID-19, The New England Journal of Medicine

Miscellaneous Resources about COVID-19

• The Coronavirus Explained and What You Should Do (YouTube video)
  

Maine-specific Resources

• Latest updates on COVID-19, Maine Center for Disease Control
• COVID-19 Updates, The University of Maine

Resources for Food Producers

• COVID-19 Information for Agriculture and Food Businesses, Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry
• FDA for Food Producers
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Focuses on Safety of Regulated Products While Scaling Back Domestic Inspections
  • Food Safety and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Cornell Food Facility COVID-19 Strategy Checklist (PDF)
• Cornell checklist of frequently touched surfaces (Word)
• List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 | US EPA
• OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 (PDF)
• U.S. Department of Labor: COVID-19 and the Workplace
  Currently, there is no evidence to support food associated transmission of COVID-19
  • Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and Food Safety: A Time for Facts, Not Panic
  • European Food Safety — Coronavirus: no evidence that food is a source or transmission route
  • FDA: Is the U.S. food supply safe?
• Restaurants
  • Business Continuity Planning Basics: What should my business do to prepare for a pandemic? (PDF)
  • Food Safety and Coronavirus: A Comprehensive Guide

Resources for Produce Growers and Farms

• Considerations for Fruit and Vegetable Growers Related to Coronavirus & COVID-19, UVM Extension Ag Engineering
• The Farmer’s Response to Disease Outbreaks: Biosecurity, Simple Cleaning, and Disinfection Can Slow or Stop the Spread of COVID-19, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
• Best Management Practices for U-Pick Farms During COVID-19

Resources for Washing Your Hands (Best Practice)

• Keeping Hands Clean | Handwashing | Hygiene | Healthy Water, CDC
  • What you need to know about handwashing (Youtube video), CDC
• COVID-19 Preventative measures clean your hands often (PDF), NC State Extension

For Questions or More Information

Contact Dr. Jason Bolton, Associate Extension Professor and Food Safety Specialist, Academic Director of Innovation Engineering, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, jason.bolton@maine.edu, 207.581.1366.