LINDA ROBBINS: Food safety and COVID-19 - News - The Times Telegram

We are receiving non-stop COVID-19 news and advice from one “expert” to the next. The messages are very mixed and sometimes downright FALSE. The following is from AnswerLine, a part of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach that is committed to providing consumers with researched-based information and supporting the Center for Disease Control’s measures and advice on staying safe during this time.

Can I become sick with COVID-19 from food?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, United States Department of Agriculture and the European Food Safety Authority are in full agreement that there is currently NO evidence that COVID-19 has spread through food or food packaging. Previous coronavirus epidemics likewise showed no evidence of having been spread through food or packaging.

Unlike foodborne gastrointestinal viruses like Norovirus and Hepatitis A that often make people ill through contaminated food, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is a virus that causes respiratory illness and not food poisoning, and foodborne exposure to this virus is not known to be a route of transmission.

Do I need to disinfect my produce before I use it?

Washing produce before eating or using fresh is always a good idea. It is NOT recommended to wash produce with dish soap or any detergent or to treat produce with a chemical disinfectant. Washing produce with these products can cause vomiting and diarrhea making consumers otherwise sick.

Some have promoted the use of natural disinfectants like vinegar and water as a safer way to wash fruits and vegetables. Unlike soaps, detergents and chemicals, vinegar and water will not harm anyone; however, vinegar and water simply offer false security when it comes to COVID-19. While a few studies have shown that vinegar helps with some viruses and microbes, there is no evidence that it can kill COVID-19.

Do I need to sanitize or disinfect packaged and canned food items?

Do I need to remove food items from cardboard packaging and store otherwise? As previously stated, food and food packaging are NOT major sources of virus transmission. However, laboratory studies have shown that COVID-19 can survive for days on plastic, cardboard, glass, and steel. Therefore, it is possible that a person could get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the primary way the virus spreads. Person to person is the most likely means of transmission.

Handling of food packaging should be followed with handwashing and/or using hand sanitizer. If it offers one more peace of mind to handle items with gloves and to wipe plastic, glass, and cans at home with a disinfectant before storing, there is no harm in doing so as long as it is done safely; items are allowed to dry completely; gloves are disposed of; and hand washing follows. Cardboard should not be wiped with a disinfectant prior to storage; foods items can be removed and stored appropriately otherwise with the cardboard box disposed of, if that brings more peace of mind.

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Linda Robbins, CDN, is assistant director and nutrition educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Herkimer County.

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