PepsiCo Products Safe Although Workers Test Positive for COVID-19

The Lay’s branch of PepsiCo Beijing has confirmed 12 COVID-19 diagnoses among its staff following the first confirmed diagnosis on June 15.

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PepsiCo said products manufactured in China are safe from the novel coronavirus, which cannot survive long enough to cause new infections by the end of the supply chain, according the three announcements by the company on June 21.

All cases were employees who worked at a small plant producing Lay’s chips, one of its seven food factories in China. The factory did not produce any beverage products.

The company suspended operations after an employee tested positive for COVID-19 on June 15. It also sealed off its inventory and sanitized its cafeteria, dressing room, workshop and assembly line.

All 480 employees are being quarantined at home or in centralized venues and given nucleic acid tests.

Health officials traced 87 people in close contact with employees at the company as of June 20. Seven of those contacts have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

PepsiCo beverage plants across the country, including the Beijing branch, have not reported any coronavirus infections, PepsiCo China said.