The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that there is no evidence to suggest people could catch the coronavirus from handling food, fresh fruits and vegetables.

According to the CDC, Coronaviruses, like the one that causes Covid-19, are thought to spread mostly person-to-person through respiratory droplets when someone coughs, sneezes, or talks. 

It is possible that a person can get Covid-19 by touching a surface or object, including food or food packaging, that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. However, this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

There is no evidence to date of viruses that cause respiratory illnesses being transmitted via food or food packaging.

WHO warns that there is also no evidence to suggest that any herbal teas, probiotics or other ‘remedies’ like eating ginger or garlic, can stave off Covid-19.

However, since the initial cases of Covid-19 were associated with fresh seafood markets in China, some people may remain sceptical of certain foods, especially after some research suggested the virus could live on fresh salmon for up to a week.

Health experts say that its unlikely people will develop Covid-19 from packaged food.

The CDC advises people not to wipe down cardboard or plastic packaging with disinfectants designed for hard surfaces as they may contaminate the food held within. But for fresh foods, like fruits and vegetables, health experts say people should use the same precautions as they would before: It’s always best to wash those foods before eating them.

"But people can be rest assured that the food itself isn’t the dangerous part. So along with personal safety measures, basic food safety measures are important to maintain, such as cooking meats to the appropriate temperatures,” states CDC.

The CDC reports that 23 states have reported Covid-19 outbreaks in meat and poultry processing facilities, but those cases were attributed to working conditions such as working closely with co-workers for up to 12 hours, shared transportation to and from work, and co-workers living in congregate housing.

The CDC notes that the risks of developing Covid-19 from eating or handling food is "very low” as there have been no cases linked to handling packaged food.

How to handle packaged food and fresh produce

Currently, no cases of Covid-19 have been identified where infection was thought to have occurred by touching food, food packaging, or shopping bags. It is always important to follow good food safety practices to reduce the risk of illness from common foodborne pathogens.

The CDC advises the following guidelines while handling packaged food and fresh produce.

When unpacking groceries, refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and other perishables within two hours of purchasing.

Shun using disinfectants designed for hard surfaces, such as bleach or ammonia, on food packaged in cardboard or plastic wrap.

Do not wash produce with soap, bleach, sanitizer, alcohol, disinfectant or any other chemical. Gently rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under cold, running tap water.

Salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, and lime juice have not been shown to be effective at removing germs on produce.

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