This site was active from 2020-2022. The information published below has not been modified or updated to reflect post-pandemic guidance. For more information on your business needs, please contact us. You may also consider viewing the CDC webpage.
The Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) at Iowa State University is providing educational guides and support to help you plan, prepare, protect, and recover your operations from impacts of the COVID-19 (the coronavirus disease).
This particular page is designed specifically for companies in the Iowa food industry, which may have specific concerns about food safety, food production, and public health.
The resources below include a variety of links and checklists to help food manufacturers protect their businesses and employees from the COVID-19 pandemic. The list includes tips such as how to properly screen employees and the best cleaning and sanitizing practices. You’ll find operational steps you can take to slow the spread, as well as what to do if you find that a COVID-19 outbreak already has happened at your plant.
Be sure to revisit this page regularly for the latest COVID-19 Food Industry guidance:
Weekly COVID-19 Food Industry Roundtables
- Food Industry Roundtable: COVID-19 Preparedness Assessment
- Food Industry Roundtable: Supply Chain Disruption
- Food Industry Roundtable: Restoring Revenue
- Food Industry Roundtable: Social Distancing in the Workplace
- Food Industry Roundtable: Financial Framework (Business Aid and Financial Resources)
- Food Industry Roundtable: Workforce Recruiting with Amy Cell
- Food Industry Roundtable: Internet Marketing
- Food Industry Roundtable: Testing Employees for COVID-19
- Roundtable: COVID-19 and Childcare Needs
- Food Industry Roundtable: Ventilation and HVAC Recommendations in Relation to COVID-19
- Food Industry Roundtable: Supply Chain Disruption (Updated)
CIRAS Checklists & Guides
Protecting Your Business from COVID-19
What is an Essential Business
Responding to a COVID-19 Exposure
Screening Employees
Thermal Screening Best Practices
Operations Management Best Practices
COVID-19 Hierarchy of Controls
Return to Work
CIRAS Preparedness & Return to Work Checklist
CIRAS Return to Office Plan
CDC Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Businesses
IDPH Reopening Guidance
White House/CDC Opening America Criteria
FDA Guidance for the Food Industry
- Food Safety and COVID-19
- FDA Briefing for Foods Stakeholders on COVID-19
- FDA Statement – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Supply Chain Update
- What to Do if You Have COVID-19 Confirmed Positive or Exposed Workers in Your Food Production, Storage, or Distribution Operations Regulated by FDA
Other Food Industry Information & Resources
- Food Industry Association’s “Guidance for the Food Industry: Coronavirus Outbreak”
- Iowa Grain Quality Initiative – Industry Updates
- CDC Guidance for Meat and Poultry Processing Workers and Employers
- COVID-19 Employee Symptoms/Testing Status-Based Decision Tool for Food Facilities
- Food Industry Recommended Protocols When Employee/Visitor/Customer Tests Positive for COVID-19
- Iowa Department of Inspection and Appeals
Reference & Information Sources
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) COVID-19 Home Page
- CDC What you need to know about COVID-19 Fact Sheet
- Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019
- Cleaning & Disinfecting your Facility
- CDC & OSHA Guidance for Manufacturing Workers and Employers
Iowa Department of Public Health updates
- Guidance for Iowa Businesses Experiencing COVID-19 Outbreaks among Employees
- Business Guidance FAQ
- Preventing COVID-19 Exposure at Work Poster
OSHA COVID-19 Webpage
OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Training Information
Tips for Manufacturers on Continuing Production During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Coronavirus Surface Testing – Eurofins Example
If your business is impacted by COVID-19, CIRAS can provide no-cost assistance to help you understand your next steps. CIRAS has an emergency response team in place to help guide you through the recovery process. Fill out our Contact Us form and we’ll be in touch with you.