The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of our lives, as well as virtually every industry on Earth. For starters, we’ve seen numerous disruptions to the food supply chain, in addition to increased reports of contaminated meat and poor working conditions in factory farms.
Although the meatpacking industry has experienced its fair share of contamination problems in the wake of COVID-19, the U.S. agricultural system is far from exempt from this type of issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), food can become contaminated in many ways. Contaminated water used in irrigation and washing, for example, can harm raw fruits and vegetables well before harvest, rendering them inedible.