Can the virus be spread through food?

On 9 March 2020, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a position that, according to current knowledge, there is no evidence that food can be a source or an intermediate link in the transmission of the SARS COV-2 virus.

EFSA information: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/coronavirus-no-evidence-food-source-or-transmission-route

Heat treatment and coronavirus

Coronaviruses need a host, which is a human, to multiply. Thorough heat treatment destroys the virus, because the coronavirus is destroyed when the right combination of time and temperature is applied, e.g. 60°C for 30 minutes. So in the case of meat, raw products, typical heat treatment eliminates microbiological contamination, including SARS COV-2.

How is SARS COV-2 transmitted?

Directly – through contact with the secretions of an infected person (droplet route, but also feces and urine).

Indirectly – through contact with surfaces containing secretions from an infected person through sneezing and coughing.

Current data indicates that the virus can survive on surfaces for several hours. The virus can be removed from the environment, as with most microorganisms, using common household disinfectants.

What actions should a conscious customer-consumer take?

In the store:

People who are in shops, supermarkets, shopping malls should always remember that they are jointly responsible for their own health and the health of others. Whenever possible, avoid staying in crowded places, maintain distances in queues.

Therefore, it is important to remember about hand hygiene as well as sneezing and coughing hygiene, especially when packing loose, unpackaged food, such as bread, confectionery, nuts.

Hands in the store have contact with work surfaces, money. Available plastic gloves and bags should be used for packaging. It is unhygienic to sort through and touch products that are intended for consumption without washing and heat treatment (e.g. bread, rolls, confectionery).

You should also pay attention to proper respiratory hygiene - not coughing/sneezing towards other people or goods.

At home:

Proper hygiene should be maintained when washing and preparing food. This is a priority not only in the case of coronavirus, but above all in the case of typical microbiological contamination leading to food poisoning. Hands, kitchen utensils, worktops, boards should be washed. Always remember to separate raw products from products already prepared for consumption, in order to avoid cross-contamination in kitchens.

Information prepared on the basis of materials from the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate: https://gis.gov.pl/aktualnosci/qa-dotyczace-zywnosci-i-koronawirusa/