Angela_Anandappa

Once you receive your grocery delivery promptly put the items away into the place where you would normally store them. If you have cold or frozen items put them in the fridge or freezer. Treat your hands as being contaminated so assume that while you are handling the items your hands should not touch your face. Be sure to wash your hands as soon as your are done putting things always so no virus gets on your face, nose or eyes. It is unlikely that viral particles are all over the groceries being delivered, but thinking they are means you will take the precautions to prevent you from getting sick. The bigger issue is not the mere presence of the intact virus on the package, but the transfer of it from there into a person (your nose in particular). Viral particles being present is not the same as the virus being active and able to reproduce and make you sick. You may have seen that the virus was detected on surfaces well over two weeks later (cruise ship). However, these were not found to have been the cause of illness. My friend and fellow food safety expert used this analogy. "Just because you see solo cups and plates from last week's party, it does not mean the party is happening today".

Great question!

Many people are ordering takeout (I did too!). When I order takeout I want to be sure the food itself it going to be safe. So firstly, I order from a place I already trust. This is not the time to explore new options. Currently, health departments are recommending many things to keep restaurant workers safe and prevent sick workers from handling food. There’s less of a likelihood of someone being sick and still working with food. That said, let’s assume someone who is actively shedding virus and asymptomatic is handling the food or packages. What we know of the virus is that it is not transmitted by food. If there is virus on the package, there needs to be a high enough amount of the virus (viral particles), and then those particles have to get into your respiratory system for you to get sick. So, if you touched the package and enough viral particles got on your hands, you could still not be affected by those particles if you do not let them get in your system. This is why there’s such as huge emphasis on hand washing. When I picked up takeout a few days ago, I brought the package home, took out the sandwiches, and placed them on the table. I then washed my hands (20 seconds with soap and water and lots of scrubbing!) and then I ate the sandwich like I normally would. In summary, make sure that you are washing your hands before and after picking up the takeout, washing hands before eating, and not licking or eating the packaging.

Yes, you went overboard.

As long as you store these items in their respective places they will be fine. Make sure you wash your hands because that's how virus is transported to your face and nose.

If you feel you want to wash the exterior of thebottle of milk or packged cheese, soap and water is the right way to do it. No need of disinfectants.

Bread, I woud leave alone and just use a clean hand to handle the bread itself when you are about to eat it.

Lots of great food safety questions, relevant for anytime.

I’ll break down my answer to each of your questions:

What is the best way to wash fruits and veggies?

The best way to wash fruits and veggies is to wash them in water. Not all produce has the same outer cell characteristics, for instance raspberries are much more delicate than a pineapple. Produce that comes pre-washed and packaged has been washed in a way that removes the vast majority of anything you should not eat. Follow the package instruction which might sometimes recommend washing or rinsing prior to consuming. This is particularly important for things like leafy green salads that are eaten raw.

Always wash fruits like apples, pears, grapes, nectarines, etc. that have a thin outer skin. Wash them in a bowl of warm water, or preferably under running water.

For fruits like watermelons, cantaloupes, and honeydew melons, they are eaten raw, but grown right in the field and spend a lot of time near the ground. These items need a good scrub with warm running water, and you should use a produce brush to scrub the outside thoroughly before you cut them open. Something to think of with these items is the cleanliness of the knife and cutting board you are using. If the outside of the item could be dirty, you don’t want that knife to transfer things from the outside to the inside, the part of the fruit you will eat.

NEVER SOAK produce. Many fruits and leafy greens can absorb water and soaking them facilitates viruses and bacteria getting inside.

What foods are hard to clean or hold germs the most?

If it’s grown close to the soil and in open fields (a lot of produce is), then assume it needs a good wash in water to clean. I’m referring to fresh produce in general.

What safety precautions can we take in the grocery stores?

If you’re referring to staying safe while you shop, it’s mostly about making sure you don’t touch anything that is contaminated or being exposed to someone who is sick and shedding. It is a good idea to assume you are sick, and reduce the times you will contaminate things (don’t touch things you are not going to buy). Reduce the number of trips to the store, make shopping trips short, and wash your hands and face as soon as you return. If you’ve got kids, the kids should be left at home if possible and when you come back home don’t run to hug or touch anyone before you remove outer clothes, and wash your hands thoroughly.

Does cooking foods kill germs and at what temps?

Yes cooking kills or reduces pathogens making them safe to eat. The temperatures depend on the food, and how long you cook them. There’s a lot of great information on the FDA or USDA websites for specific temperatures. I will add some links to general cooking temps on the Alliance website in the next couple of days.

I do not. In fact I will be placing an order this evening. If you can stay at home you limit your exposure to every other person in the store or on the way to the store who could potentially be aerosolizing virus. So your risk of being infected go down (a lot). When someone brings the food to you, make sure you are getting things from a reliable source who is taking good care of food safety and their people. When you receive the items, receive them, put them away as usual, then wash your hands. Do not be handling delivered things and touching your face and nose and mouth while handling those items. If you need to sneeze, use your elbow.