Reliance on take-out and food delivery is increasing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as for the first time in years, more people are eating at home than are eating out. While experts say the food supply appears to be safe, there are ways to emphasize take-out and delivered food and packages safety.
“The FDA has stated that the U.S. food supply remains safe for both people and animals. There is no evidence of human or animal food or food packaging being associated with the transmission of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19,” said Joell Eifert, director of the Food Innovations Program in the Virginia Tech Department of Food Science and Technology and Extension Specialist in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
However, there are some simple practices consumers can do to further emphasize food safety. All receiving and delivery practices should minimize human-to-human contact, which can include 1) Pre-paying for your order before delivery to avoid sharing pens or payment equipment; 2) Asking that your delivery be left at the door to avoid hand-to-hand contact. 3) Ensuring that you will be available or are notified of your delivery to ensure that perishable items don’t sit out of refrigeration too long. 4) Following certain practices when you bring your delivery into the house. Place the outer box or bag on a hard surface that can be cleaned and sanitized. Remove the food from the outer box or bag and then immediately discard the outer bag or box. Washing your hands before putting food away. Cleaning and sanitizing the surface that outer boxes or bags touched. 5) Washing your hands before opening, preparing, or eating food. Washing hands before eating is always recommended.
The food industry is dedicated to making sure food, food establishments, and food manufacturing facilities remain safe and do not contribute to the current outbreak. The most effective tools against the COVID-19 virus are already being used by these food producers and are basics for food safety, Eifert said.
“Practices already in place include handwashing, ensuring that ill workers are sent home, following standard operating procedures for making a safe quality food product, avoiding situations that allow cross-contamination and following sound cleaning and sanitation practices,” Eifert said. “These practices are not new to food establishments and are proving to be sound practices to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 to employees as well as customers.”
Eifert said that measures taken by food manufacturers include practicing social distancing in the employee common areas like cafeterias, restrooms and break rooms; increasing the cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces or shared equipment used by employees (using CDC-recommended procedures); wearing disposable gloves and gowns for cleaning and disinfecting; and using EPA-registered disinfectants.
