Is Our Food Safe from Coronavirus?

Every day seems to bring frightening news about the increasing spread of coronavirus COVID-19 as it makes its way within the US. We now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we should frequently wash our hands, refrain from touching our faces, and sneeze and cough in the crooks of our elbows to deter community transmission of the virus.

But what about our food…how concerned should we be for food safety? Can the virus be transmitted via imported foods from Italy and China?

Dirt-to-Dinner decided to take a closer look at how COVID-19 is transmitted to better understand its implications for our global food system. The answers we’ve found tell us to be careful — but not to panic when it comes to our food supply.

How does coronavirus spread?

Health officials say there’s much to learn about COVID-19 and how it spreads. However, we have gleaned some basic facts given our health system’s experience with SARS, MERS, and more common types of coronaviruses.

Much like the flu or a bad cold, people are contaminated with COVID-19 by “respiratory droplets” from infected people. This is a polite term for being sneezed or coughed on, or being in close enough proximity — or within six feet — to inhale the virus.

While medical experts accumulate more facts about the virus, the safest course is to avoid close contact with anyone showing signs of a respiratory condition or problem, even those who say it’s just a cold or the flu.

But what about our food?

Health experts generally say they have no evidence of the virus being transmitted by non-contact routes, such as from objects — or food.

Theoretically, it is possible to transmit COVID-19 from a contaminated surface, like a package or other product, if an infected person sneezed or coughed on it. However, the virus is not believed to survive long enough in these situations to make it a serious threat. Therefore, goods shipped from abroad would take more than enough time in transit to make transmission unlikely.

Regarding the risks from “smear contaminations,” the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture reported, “this is likely to occur during a short period after contamination, due to a relatively low stability of coronavirus in the environment.” Infection from foods exported from China, the Ministry concluded, is “unlikely.” The Minnesota Department of Health also concluded that “the coronavirus can only survive on inanimate objects for a few hours, maybe a day or two in perfect laboratory conditions.”

Furthermore, experts also note that coronaviruses are sensitive to heat. Cooking our food is a simple, practical form of insurance, if any doubts remain after hearing from health experts on the low level of danger to our food supply from this virus.

“In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient, refrigerated, or frozen temperatures.”

- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

What happens next?

While the dangers of COVID-19 are undoubtedly real, health experts point to a number of reasons to avoid panic.

First, there is a global collaborative effort to contain spread of the virus, primarily through careful control of travel from where the virus is known to exist.

There is also a concerted effort among the scientific, academic, governmental and health communities to pool knowledge and resources to combat the problem. As much work as remains to be done in developing comprehensive treatment regimens and potential vaccines, we have gained much knowledge from our previous experiences with challenging coronavirus strains.

What should I do?

Rigorous yet simple hygiene practices can be your most effective tool against COVID-19. Wash your hands frequently throughout the day. And do not touch your face. If you find yourself touching your eyes or nose, wash your hands. Definitely don’t shake the hand of an infected person. In fact, try to stay away at least six feet, if space permits.

As for food, there’s no reason to fear getting the virus from what you eat. However, it’s always safe practice to wash your fruits and veggies before consumption. If you’re particularly concerned, go ahead and cook or heat your food, which will destroy the virus. And, if you’re at a restaurant and you see a food worker cough or sneeze on your food, don’t be afraid to send it back!

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, maintain a healthy diet, get plenty of rest, and regularly exercise to keep your immune system strong.

Want to read the full article or learn more about our food supply? Check out this link.