How to stay safe when handling food, packaging and home deliveries
- 07 Apr 2020
Here is everything you need to know about grocery shopping amid the outbreak.
Does coronavirus live on food?
According to the UK food safety website, it is “very unlikely” that you can catch coronavirus from food.
“COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. It is not known to be transmitted by exposure to food or food packaging,” the guidelines read.
Stephen Baker, a professor from the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge, told the PA news agency that while it is possible the virus could survive on food as it would do on other surfaces, it soon dies off.
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“There is no reason to think the virus would be able to survive on food longer than any other surface,” Baker said, adding that the risk posed by ingesting food contaminated with small amounts of the virus would be “really low.”
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) adds that cooking food at the right temperature and for the correct length of time will ensure that any harmful bacteria are killed.
It also reminds people to wash their hands before preparing, cooking or eating food, where possible with warm soapy water and ensuring equipment and surfaces are clean to stop harmful bacteria from spreading onto food.
How much of a risk does packaging pose?
According to the World Health Organisation, the risk of catching the virus that causes Covid-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperatures is also very low.
Professor Baker agrees, adding that while the risk is “not zero” when it comes to supermarket and home food deliveries, it is “relatively minor.”
Should you clean your food and/or packaging?
Despite the low risk of contamination, if you feel particularly anxious about the possibility of the virus spreading on food packaging you can use antibacterial wipes or disinfectant spray before storing them away in your cupboards or fridge.
Speaking to the BBC, Professor Sally Bloomfield from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, explained that if people are concerned they can either store products for 72 hours before using them or “spray and wipe plastic or glass containers with bleach (that is carefully diluted as directed on the bottle).”
When it comes to fresh produce, such as fruits and vegetables, do not use products containing any chemicals to clean them.
“For unwrapped fresh goods, which could have been handled by anyone, wash thoroughly under running water and leave to dry,” Bloomfield adds.
It is also important to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water as soon as you get home and after handling any packaging.
What precautions should you take at the supermarket?
Visiting supermarkets does pose some risk as you are mixing with other members of the public.
In this case, it is important to adhere to the government’s guidelines on social distancing by ensuring that you keep at least two metres from others.
This advice applies to both inside the store and in the external public area where you may need to queue.
Customers can also choose to offset any additional risk by washing their hands before and after visiting the supermarket, avoiding touching their faces after handling shopping trolleys, baskets, packages and produce, and using contactless payment methods.
Many people also choose to wear gloves while they shop, however it is important to note that doing so does not stop you from touching trolley handles and then touching your face, which could transmit the virus.
How safe are home deliveries?
Home delivery is considered to be less risky than a trip to a supermarket as you will avoid coming into contact with other shoppers.
A number of supermarkets are now also offering contactless deliveries — meaning your shopping is left in a safe place, such as your doorstep, for you to collect once the delivery person has left.
If this is not an option, Professor Baker says it is important to remember social distancing when receiving the delivery by maintaining a distance of two metres between yourself and the driver.
Is it safe to order takeaways?
While restaurants have been ordered to shut during lockdown, food deliveries and takeaways are still allowed.
But, just how safe is it to order food that is prepared elsewhere?
The government has reminded outlets to adhere to prescribed practices, which includes guidelines on stressing the importance of employees frequently cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, washing their hands and practicing good hygiene in food preparation and handling areas.
These procedures should mean that there is minimal risk from a freshly cooked takeaway meal.
For those concerned about takeaway packaging, Professor Bloomfield advises “emptying the contents (into a clean dish), disposing of the packaging into a refuse bag and washing your hands thoroughly before you eat.”
“Take food out of a container with a spoon and eat it with a knife and fork — not your fingers,” she adds.
A number of delivery services now also offer contactless delivery which removes the need for direct contact for both parties.