The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority confirmed that cooking food is sufficient to kill the emerging corona virus (Covid 19). She called the workers of the food establishments to wash hands before using the gloves and after taking them off, and called for changing them after opening or closing the doors and empty the boxes.
The authority stressed - in a guide issued yesterday on the safe handling of foodstuffs - the need to provide food to customers hot, recommending that the maximum period for delivering food orders be less than 30 minutes.
The guide included five sections, which provided a detailed explanation of the regulations related to food safety, and the precautionary measures that food stores and meal delivery service providers should adhere to, stressing that they promote health practices that reduce the risk of infection with viruses.
And obligated the first section of the guide responsible for managing the food establishment a number of procedures when symptoms appear on their workers (fever, cough, throat pain, shortness, difficulty breathing, headache or any symptoms that may pose a health risk), the first of which is to exclude the suspected worker Injury from the workplace with seeking medical advice, then (Covid-19) checks for his contacts, performing additional sterilization of the facility, taking safety precautions to avoid harmful effects, including ensuring good ventilation, and using personal protective equipment (single-use gloves, eye protectors) ).
The second part of the guide answered a question: Can the emerging corona virus (Covid-19) be transmitted through food? Stressing that current scientific evidence does not suggest its transmission through food, stressing that hand hygiene and social divergence are the most important ways to prevent infection.
He added that the cooking process is sufficient to kill the virus, stressing the need to wash hands when changing or removing gloves, in addition to changing them after opening or closing the doors by hand and emptying the boxes.
The third section warned of the danger of using dishes, glass cups and metal spoons for customers, stressing the importance of replacing them with types designed for single use.
He stressed the importance of providing food to customers (customers) hot at a temperature of not less than 63 degrees Celsius or higher, while cold food must be served at a temperature of not less than five degrees Celsius, recommending that the delivery period be less than 30 minutes.
Section IV stressed the imperative to facilitate and encourage non-cash payments, and to allocate a low-risk area away from food processing for purposes of order delivery, with the need to continuously sterilize it.
The last section identified precautionary measures that the consumer must take when dealing with the delivery worker, including avoiding direct contact with him, and asking him to leave the request on the doorstep or inside the building's lobby, and upon receiving the request the delivery bag must be placed directly in the sink basin, and disposal of the bag in a basket Trash after empty its contents, sterilizing the washbasin after it is finished, transferring food to another clean bowl, avoiding touching the food directly or the delivered utensils, not keeping the delivery plates in the cabinet or refrigerator, and washing hands for at least 20 seconds before eating the meal.
30
Minutes is the maximum safe time for food delivery.