This paper presented a brief introduction to the outbreak process and symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), elucidated the detection methods and transmission modes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that caused the disease, and summarized the survival time of SARS-COV-2 in different media and different physical and chemical conditions and factors that could affect the long-term survival of the virus. This paper also summed up current risk assessments of SARS-COV-2 in food safety conducted in various countries, and concluded that the risk of SARS-COV-2 to food safety is very low, but preventive measures are still in need after referring to latest research. Finally, some methods to prevent SARS-COV-2 contamination in food were introduced, aiming to provide a basis for the formulation of policy measures in the future.