Food packaging and the new coronavirus: challenges and opportunities for the packaging industry post-Covid-19

Abstract Health authorities such as the World Organization and US Centers for Disease Control Prevention state that while SARS-CoV-2 contamination from surfaces food or its packaging is possible, it not seen primary way of contagion. In studies addressing virus survival on surfaces, no longer detected porous objects corrugated cardboard fabric after 2 5 days, respectively, also non-porous plastic stainless steel periods than 7 days. It was observed this persistence depends environmental factors temperature, relative humidity solar radiation incidence. The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (Covid-19) pandemic had an impact industries, whereby digitalization trends increased, well industry with expansion e-commerce, consumer demand easy to disinfect development more environmentally responsible packaging. On other hand, taking into account fear by virus, consumers felt safer handling disposable products single-use instead reusable packaging, which goes against progressive ban in regions, European Union (EU). post-pandemic, concerns regarding usage plastics will be resumed, long term, a reduction use growth recyclable waste generation rates similar those predicted before Covid-19 expected.