In this time we’re in, unlike any other experienced in our lifetime, I thought it would be helpful to share some sensible Coronavirus food safety tips, covering how to sanitise food and what I’m doing to ensure food safety.
SUMMARY
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Coronavirus believed to survive up to 3 days on surfaces
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Wash all fresh produce in warm soapy water
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Only eat cooked foods to be extra cautious
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For the vulnerable – extra precaution – wash all food jars and packets, and personal hygiene items that will touch your face
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Skip takeout from fast food joints. Support local restaurants by asking for takeaway food you can reheat at home.
Background
Though Coronavirus cannot be passed through food because it needs a living host to survive, it does persist on surfaces. The exact time is still unknown, but the World Health Organisation says it may be for a few hours or up to 3 days. (Excerpt here)
Accordingly, I sanitise my fresh produce – and in this post I explain how I do it.
How to sanitise food
I wash all my fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) in warm soapy water just like I’m doing the dishes. I used to use just water – or salt or vinegar for some things.
Grossed out? I was too, initially. But you can’t taste the detergent and even lettuce remains crispy if you use this method:
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Fill sink with hot water and some detergent – as though you are about to do the dishes;
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Fill a 2nd sink with cold water (or clean bucket or similar);
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Separate stems/leaves for things like spinach and lettuce for easy access to clean;
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Plunge fruit and vegetables into soapy water. Swish it around and scrub if necessary. Work in small batches to reduce time in hot water;
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Transfer into cold water to rinse off suds. Work quickly so lettuce and other perky veg doesn’t wilt;
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Dry – Pile onto dish rack and colanders to drain and dry; and
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Store as you ordinarily do.
I clean all vegetables whether I intend to cook with them or not because:
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I store all my produce bundled/piled together; and
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it is not yet known at what temperature Coronavirus is killed during cooking (or how long you have to cook for).
If you can’t be bothered or don’t have time to go through the above, I’d recommend only eating cooked foods. (Or if you want to be extra cautious) The longer you cook, the safer it gets (not yet any definitive guidance on how long you need to cook for).
Vinegar and salt – not as effective
In the past, I’d wash produce with just water, or use either salt or vinegar in a sink full of water to clean my produce. But it’s pretty well documented that while this will kill bugs and some bacteria, it doesn’t kill viruses.
Some general points
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Meat, fish, seafood – I don’t wash because they’re cooked
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Food and ingredients in cans, jars and packets – I don’t wash but see note below for vulnerable people
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Dried beans scooped from bins – cooked so I don’t wash
Vulnerable people – extra measures
I do not generally wash jars of sauces and spreads, cans of beans or packets of noodles – though today, I did wash a can of tuna I had just bought in the morning because I ate it straight out of the can (desperate food on the run!).
However, if I had a vulnerable person in my household (elderly or weak immune system) then I would wash every single item that entered the kitchen OR “quarantine” them for 3 days (eg in a box, separate fridge):
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bottles and jars of sauces, spreads
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cans of vegetables
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packets of noodles, dried beans, frozen vegetables
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bottles of fruit juice, drinks
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packets of dried herbs
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meat (wash the packet)
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toothpaste, face wash, shaving cream and any personal hygiene things that will be used on the face
Paper packaging
For things like flour and sugar that are sometimes in paper packaging (where water would soak through), I would wipe the packets down with disinfectant wipes, or spray then wipe.
Things that are cooked have an extra safety net, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
No fast food. Make it yourself.
If there was ever a time to make homemade meals, it would be now.
Skip the fast food. KFC, Maccers, Dominos. The big chains that operate like factories who hire kids to work after school.
….BUT support your locals. MY IDEAS!!
On the other hand, as I offer advice to avoid takeout, I also feel a strong moral and sentimental obligation to support our hard working and incredibly talented hospitality industry.
Restaurant workers can’t work from home. They can’t teleconference in.
So the pandemic threatens to wipe out restaurants, cafes and bars across our country.
I believe the hygiene management practices of reputable establishments are far better than any I can do in my own home. These people are professionals!
One girl and her dog can’t save an entire industry, but she CAN offer suggestions to help support local businesses:
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Ask your favourite restaurants (no matter how fancy!) for takeaway food that can be reheated at home;
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Skip fast food. Now is not the time for Maccers or Dominos. Use your takeout budget to support the family run businesses and reputable restaurants;
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Talk to the restaurant owners and read their website – hear what they’re doing to make things safe for diners. It will bring you comfort (this is what I did at my local bistros and favourite city restaurants);
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Gift vouchers!!!
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Organise a fancy fine dining dinner party IN with your favourite people! Take out from your favourite restaurants and save a ton of money by drinking your own booze and no cab fare home! Many high end dining establishments in Sydney are now looking to offer home meals as a creative means to address their empty restaurants (here’s the Gourmet Traveller live list) – and I’m hoping this is happening around the world.
Let’s support the hard working locals who put their heart and soul into making incredible food for us to enjoy during the good times. Now it’s OUR TURN to support them during the hard times. I’m taking friends to my favourite local Afghani restaurant tomorrow night!
Stay positive – we will get through this!
To everybody who is struggling in these hard times – stay strong! We are all in it together. In my very small way, I want to try to help how I can – by trying to keep your life delicious by providing efficient meal plans and tips for smart pantry items so you don’t waste money and food on wild panic buying sprees.
If you are feeling down, leave a message on one of these posts I’ve been sharing about Coronavirus. I feel so incredibly fortunate to be part of a wonderful community of readers from all around the world who takes the time to help each other out, especially during difficult times like this.
Think positive.
Act responsibly.
Be kind to others.
Stay safe and well! – Nagi x
Life of Dozer
Available for virtual hugs, 24-7!
Very informative post, Nagi! Thank you!
BTW, I want a virtual hug by Dozer!!!! He’s adorable!
He’s sending them left right and centre! Big, furry, cuddles!!!
Hi Nagi,
Is it wise for you to go out to a restaurant with friends in Australia? Here in Canada we are told to self isolate.
Love your posts!
Moira
But many restaurants prepare ‘take away’ (or ‘take out’ as we call it in all of North America) and you can even get a food delivery service to bring it to your home.
As of this week Moira – no, they are all closed apart from take-away! N x
Thank you for all your incredible ideas, I’ve been a follower of yours for ages and just love the way you talk about things, always brings a smile to
My face! Plus Dozer, really …. how cute is that face 😍 thanks for your contribution in helping out during these crazy times, keep up the awesome work.😍😍
You’re so welcome Anna, thanks so Much! N x
Nagi, I would really love a Dozer hug just now!!
I have my cat snuggles, but Dozer looks like he’d give a great hug! I’ll settle for virtual. Thanks for sharing him. Xxx
😂
ugh i get grossed out more washing anything in the sink. I need to at least put it in a huge bowl or something. you don’t know what’s in the sink no matter how clean it it.
Hi Jean, I suppose you could say the same thing about washing dishes in your sink too! I make sure my sink is clean and disinfected first 🙂 N x
you have kept me entertained and thinking about all the delicious things i can try You have also alerted me to things I didnt think about, I cook for my parents, (mum in nursing home) and I never clean food in warm water Thank you as I am cleaning my house but now will clean all foods too
Great Kylie! N x
I find a capful of vinegar in rinse water extends storage life for vulnerable things like strawberries. Thanks for tips and recipes.
You’re so welcome Valerie!
I live in Panama, Central America…..read the most of your post…..loved all of them….gratefull for yours advice…….tanks very much….love yours recipe too and Dozer……praying God to be freed of Covid-19 soon
Thanks so much Edna, stay safe ❤️
Thanks for your tips on washing produce…I have done this before but wasnt sure it was good for the produce. thanks for confirming it!
Thanks to for your upbeat and encouraging remarks at this time of concern and isolation. we all will get through this hopefully healthy and well, and our nations and economies wont suffer for long.
And Dozer always brightens the day!! thanks for the pix!
Yes definitely Sue! Now is more important than ever!! N x
Love seeing your e-mails in my inbox. Always so positive and informative. Thank you for staying positive and up to date and going the extra mile to keep us informed.
Thanks so much Debbie, that’s so nice to hear ❤️
Thanks soooooooo much for all you knowledge and happy thoughts. Kisses and hugs to you and Dozer XXXOOO. Keep us going in these hard times.
Love hearing this Jean – thanks so much ❤️
Please keep in mind that fast food places like McDonalds and Domino’s are most often franchises owned and ran by regular people. They are struggling also.
Yes 100%! N x
Nagi , you’re the best & now we are getting terrific plans & advice during this stressful time cannot THANKYOU So much give dozer a huge hug
Thanks so much Liz!
Hi Nagi, thanks for all the great tips and advice.
may I ask the name of your favourite Afghani restaurant I live in western Sydney and there are a couple locally but I would love to try another that you recommend.
Hi Jo-Anne! It is a place called Sahar in Newport, 11 Robertson Rd. It is owned by an Afghani husband and wife who used to live next door to me in my old place. The wife does all the cooking herself. It’s a much loved local place! N x (PS I also love it because there are outdoor tables so Dozer is allowed to come! I am going tonight with friends who also have golden retrievers – it’s going to be a mad house!!)
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness, it is not transmissible through food.
The virus shell can be denatured by soap, alcohol, some lipids and by heating – so while it is sensible to take precautions against all sorts of food borne pathogens, such as E. coli, hepatitis A, salmonella, etc you are very unlikely to get this particular virus from a food source. Normal food hygiene and sanitation procedures (eg, regular hand washing) should provide adequate protection against current coronavirus infection – the same way you don’t usually pick up a cold (also caused by a coronavirus, but a different variation) from your fruit and vege but by inhaling tiny particles that someone sick has coughed or sneezed into the air recently, or onto a hard surface that you then touch and transfer to your own respiratory system by rubbing your nose or lips, etc. I mean, I guess is technically possible for it to happen, the same way you could get hit by a flyway beach umbrella or attacked by a lion, but person to person contact with someone who is infected (and may be asymptomatic, to be fair) is much more likely to be how this thing spreads, not via cans of baked beans.
So by all means, take reasonable precautions but you don’t need to be rubbing your carrots down with soap or spraying meths on your kale or anything like that. Good for getting rid of pesticides though… it’s still fine to put a wedge of lemon in your gin 😉
Also, if you are otherwise fit, healthy and mobile PLEASE don’t stockpile huge amounts of food and toilet paper from supermarkets – it leaves the elderly, (who are most as risk from dying from this particular illness) who are often living on restricted incomes/pensions and with sometimes limited mobility, in a very vulnerable position – and they are the ones who can least afford to go without at this time, so please keep that in mind.
Hi Chris, It’s not transmissible by food but you don’t know who has been handling your food and who could be sick in that process. It’s definitely worth washing your produce to stay safe!! N x
oh Nagi just look at Dozers little curly mane at the front of his neck, please give him a virtual hug for me, and thank you so much for caring keep safe
His big chest mane! So regal!! N x
Nagi you truly are the best! Thank you for caring so much about your global family. We really are all in this together…
This is why we love you 💜
Thanks Tia!!
Thanks so much for your care and concern Nagi. Love everything you do. 💖
Thanks so much Trish, that’s great to hear!! N x
Thank you Nagi for your advice and suggestions.
You’re so welcome Juliana!! N x
To you darling gruesome twosome, virtual hugs aplenty and many thanks for the hints and suggestions you are providing. Ps Is DOZER staying out of the spa😉?
We will never be able to keep him out of the spa! N x