Can You Get COVID-19 from Food? Experts Weigh In

Millions of people are forced to stay inside their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thus forcing them to cook their own food or rely on food delivery services.

Like other viruses, COVID-19 is thought to spread from human interactions through respiratory droplets that are expelled from an infected person when they talk, cough or sneeze. People can become infected with the virus through close contact with someone infected or through touching contaminated surfaces and then touching their face, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC.

Are takeout foods safe?

A lot of people are asking if things brought from outside, such as food and groceries, can be a contaminated and if someone can be infected by eating coronavirus contaminated food. So far, there is no evidence that the coronavirus can be transmitted through eating food.

However, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, there is a possible risk that the virus may persist on food packaging like plastic for up to 72 hours. Researchers found no concrete evidence of the virus after 24 hours on the cardboard. On all surfaces of the food packaging, the virus degrades fast and is seen to drop by half within just under seven hours on plastic and three hours on cardboard.

Also Read: 'COVID Toes' and Other Peculiar Skin Conditions May Be Symptoms of Coronavirus

According to Cathy Moir, council chair for the Food Safety Information Council, there are two important messages on handling food and food safety during the pandemic. One is about preventing COVID-19 spread and shopping for food and the other is about keeping your food safe and preventing food poisoning at home.

Is COVID-19 foodborne?

Researches showed that COVID-19 is not a foodborne illness and there is no evidence so far that shows it can be transmitted through food. But there is a risk that COVID-19 can be transmitted by surface cross-contamination. There are reports of how long the virus can remain on surfaces.

According to the World Health Organization or WHO, it is not certain how long the virus can last on a surface, but based on its behavior, it may persist for a few hours or up to several days, though the time frame may depend on environmental conditions and the type of surface. One report found that the virus persisted on the surfaces of cruise ships for up to 17 days.

The US Department of Agriculture stated that there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with the transmission of the virus. It is possible that the virus can survive on surfaces or objects which is why it is important to follow the 4 key steps of food safety which are clean, separate, cook and chill. The agency adds that there is also no evidence to suggest that food produced within the country can transmit COVID-19, nor can goods that are imported from other nations.

The Institute for Food Safety says that people should first place shopping bags on the flood and immediately wash their hands when home from shopping or after grabbing takeout. Discard or recycle any single-use bags. Wash your hands properly but there is no need to sanitize any part of the food packaging.

Never use soap or bleach on your food as these may harm your health. The institute adds that the coronavirus is killed by cooking to the safe minimum cooking temperatures specified by the FDA and USDA.