Can you get Corona Virus From Food?
I think many of us have had some concerns about getting this COVID-19 from food- either from the grocery store, or from carry-out restaurants. This is due, in large part from the videos that went viral a couple of weeks ago of some kids who posted themselves coughing on fresh produce at a grocery store.
I’ve recently read some things that alleviate those fears for me. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration;
“Unlike food borne gastrointestinal viruses like norovirus and hepatitis A that often make people ill through contaminated food, SARS-C0V-2. which causes COVID-19, is a virus that causes respiratory illness. Foodborne exposure to this virus is not known to be a route of transmission.”
High heat kills most pathogens, including corona viruses. An epidemiologist, Stephen Morse, mentioned in a March 14, 2020 article,
“cooked foods are unlikely to be a concern unless they get contaminated after cooking”
and that holds true even if the person preparing the food is ill or unknowingly carrying the virus. This is because, if the CDC is correct, the main way this virus spreads is NOT through touching surfaces with the virus and then touching your face. According to the FDA, there is currently no evidence of transmission of COVID-19 through food or food packaging.
Raw food is also unlikely to cause the spread, even if it is contaminated by cough or sneeze, simply because respiratory viruses reproduce in your respiratory tract, not the digestive tract. Viruses must have a live host to reproduce, so they would not be able to reproduce while setting on produce or other food. So it is said by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, the chief culinary advisor for Serious Eats, that in a scenario of a restaurant worker coughing on a cutting board before assembling a hamburger and placing in a takeout container:
“You come home and eat that burger with your bare hands, then pick your nose, or do something else that deposits the virus along your respiratory tract. In this situation, the viral load has been diluted several times. First when it was transferred from the board to the burger bun. Next, more viral load was shed when the bun was placed in the takeout container. It is diluted again when you pick up the burger before interacting with your face in inadvisable ways.”
Vinegar is effective against bacteria, but not so much against viruses. However, malt vinegar does appear to inactivate influenza viruses. But the most effective way to clean your produce is with running water.
Barbara Ingham is with a University food science extension. Her list of precautions:
wash all whole fruits and vegetables before preparing; even if the skin/rind won’t be eaten
wash fruits & veggies under clean, running water in a clean sink. Do not use soap or bleach, as these could interact with treatment coating on some produce and also, bleach is poisonous and should never be used on food.
firm produce can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush, if desired. Soft produce, such as tomatoes, should be gently rubbed with hands to loosen any dirt. For leafy produce, remove the outer leaves of the head before washing.
to wash berries, parsley & loose greens, place in clean colander & spray with the kitchen sprayer. Be sure to turn & shake the colander gently as you wash.
So add these to your common-sense precautions of frequent hand washing and containing our sneezes & coughs and don’t go out (have a friend get supplies for you or have them delivered) if you’re sick. This makes me feel more comfortable, knowing the experts are saying that food is a low risk for contracting this virus.
No more living in fear!