Corona ... simple steps to reduce risk while purchasing food

In these epidemic times, shopping for food and food preparation seems difficult and dangerous, because the Corona virus (Covid-19) can remain active on foodstuffs, but some actions nonetheless can prevent infection.

Therefore, the French newspaper Le Figaro provides advice that helps avoid infection with this virus, which in theory suffices to be infected by touching any surface contaminated with an active virus and then touching the face.

The newspaper pointed out that this virus practically remains active on the material for a few hours usually, and rarely remains active for a few days, depending on the amount of the virus and the surrounding conditions, and after that the virus does not have any traces, and even if anything remains of it, it will not be contagious after two or three hours, According to a recent study.

"There is no need to be afraid to go shopping, but the important thing is to respect the barrier measures, because if you stay one meter away from others, you don't risk unless your neighbor sneezes in your face," infectious pathologist Francois Brickier says.

But what really worries about the possibility of infection is by buying foodstuffs, for example, "If a person with the virus comes to you and touches the fruits or vegetables that you will buy, you may get infected ... Why not?"

As for meat, the National Agency for Food, Environment and Occupational Health Safety noted on March 11th, in a notice that "the transmission of the virus through animals is unlikely, and experts have ruled out the transmission of the virus directly through food cut from an infected animal."

However - the newspaper says - this does not mean excluding that a patient can contaminate food while preparing it, says Gil Salvat, deputy director of research at the agency, "It is appropriate to remind that an infected person should not prepare a meal, knowing that this virus does not resist cooking until At moderate temperatures of 64 ° C for four minutes, and among hundreds of publications, no one indicates that corona is transported through food.

Sulfat says that it makes sense to leave the products - except fresh materials - that we brought two or three hours before unpacking them. As for the materials that need to be kept in the refrigerator, such as milk and others, it is sufficient to clean them with a wet paper towel before putting them in the refrigerator.

As for fruits and vegetables, "it is sufficient to wash them with water only," says Bricker, and Salvat explains that "you must take the necessary precautions with all fruits and vegetables before placing them in the refrigerator, and wash them with water and dry them to prevent them from rotting very quickly", and there is no need to wash them with soap or white vinegar or Peeling them because the water does the job very well, "There is no need to poison antiseptics," as Salvat warns.

As for baking - as the newspaper says - there is no problem if the baker respects the precautions and uses gloves and changes them frequently or cleans his hands regularly and puts bread in the paper, knowing that the virus remains only a few hours on a dry surface, and those who are concerned about it can warm the loaf gently For four minutes at 64 ° C. "