In a recent webinar, Thermo Fisher Scientific summarised the Emergency Response Validation option of the AOAC Research Institute’s Performance Tested Methods Program and introduced its new SARS-CoV-2 PCR test workflow. Direct transmission of the novel coronavirus from person-to-person is recognised as the main route of contamination. However, the stability of SARS-CoV-2 on various surfaces has been demonstrated and transmission from contaminated surfaces may be possible. 1,2 While some food industrial segments have faced contamination issues among co-workers, 3 emergency responses were set up to support the hygiene monitoring. Methods are now available to detect SARS-CoV-2 in a food production environment, in order to evaluate the efficiency of the sanitation processes and the control measures against COVID-19 virus contamination. AOAC INTERNATIONAL has activated an accelerated programme to evaluate test kits for detecting coronavirus on surfaces; this third-party validation is bringing confidence to end users.