Some guidelines on how you should handle and prepare shop bought food in Spain during the Coronavirus pandemic

Some guidelines on how you should handle and prepare shop-bought food during the Coronavirus pandemic

WITH lockdown conditions imposed throughout the world, the majority of people’s daily routines have come to a halt with activities such as food shopping being kept to a bare minimum.

By now, people have become used to taking precautions such as washing their hands regularly and practising safe social distancing but with online delivery slots fully booked for weeks ahead, venturing out to the shop is a necessity.

Supermarkets are notoriously busy places that are filled with products touched by a number of people and while retailers are doing their best to employ measures to help shoppers keep their distance from one another, customers are left wondering what the risk of exposure to the virus is when doing their shopping.

According to the government’s food safety website, it is “very unlikely” that you can catch coronavirus from food. “Covid-19 is a respiratory illness. It is not known to be transmitted by exposure to food or food packaging,” the guidelines read.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) adds that cooking food at the right temperature and for the correct length of time will ensure that any harmful bacteria are killed.

It also reminds people to wash their hands before preparing, cooking or eating food, where possible with warm soapy water and ensuring equipment and surfaces are clean to stop harmful bacteria from spreading onto food.

According to the World Health Organisation, the risk of catching the virus that causes Covid-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperatures is also very low.

Despite the low risk of contamination, if you feel particularly anxious about the possibility of the virus spreading on food packaging you can use antibacterial wipes or disinfectant spray before storing them away in your cupboards or fridge.

Professor Sally Bloomfield from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine explained that if people are concerned they can either store products for 72 hours before using them or “spray and wipe plastic or glass containers with bleach [that is carefully diluted as directed on the bottle].”

When it comes to fresh produce, such as fruits and vegetables, do not use products containing any chemicals to clean them.

“For unwrapped fresh goods, which could have been handled by anyone, wash thoroughly under running water and leave to dry,” Bloomfield adds.

When you wash vegetables, wash them under a running tap and rub them under water, for example in a bowl of fresh water. Start with the least soiled items first and give each of them a final rinse. Peeling or cooking fruit and vegetables can also remove bacteria.

It is also important to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water as soon as you get home and after handling any packaging.