There’s no evidence you can get the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) through food or food packaging.
Transmission through food
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease spreading from person to person. It’s not a foodborne disease. There’s no evidence to suggest people will get infected by swallowing the virus in, or on, food or drink.
The main risk of transmission is from close contact with infected people. The best approach is to practice social distancing and to maintain good personal hygiene at all times. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water and avoid touching your face to reduce the risk of infection.
Washing fruit and vegetables
It’s always a good idea to wash fresh fruit and vegetables under running water before eating. Don’t use soap, disinfectants, or detergents to wash your food. These cleaning products aren’t designed for human consumption. They may actually be unsafe to use with food.
Transmission from food packaging
Food packaging hasn’t presented any specific risk of transmission. It’s not yet confirmed how long the virus survives or remains detectable on surfaces. Studies suggest it may be a few hours or up to several days. This depends on the type of surface, temperature, and humidity of the environment.
Surfaces can be sanitized with common household disinfectants such as alcohol-based sanitizer or bleach.
We always recommend good food safety practices when handling any food.
Comments