TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — There is no scientific evidence that people can be infected by traces of COVID-19 found on fruit, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said after reports in Macau said Friday (July 1) a batch of mangoes from Taiwan had tested positive for the virus.

The reports follow allegations by China last month that it found COVID on the packaging of horse mackerel imported from Taiwan. Beijing has also banned several other products from Taiwan, including grouper fish and fruit because of the alleged presence of banned chemicals.

The Macao Daily said that testing on June 29 found COVID on the mangoes. As a result, 20 boxes containing 100 kilograms of the fruit were destroyed. The import of products from the same supplier would be suspended for one week, CNA reported.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that if tests were required on the mangoes, it was willing to conduct them, as it had done for the horse mackerel and other products. The COVID tests for both the inside and outside of 34 packages of the fish all turned out negative, according to the FDA.