With the surge of coronavirus cases in China, the fear of another full-blown pandemic is back. Governments across the world are starting to introduce precautionary measures. As people are masking up and stocking up on essentials, the question of Covid-19 on groceries is back.
How long does Covid-19 stay on groceries?
As the reports of infection surging in China are rising, people and governments across the world are implementing safety measures. As per research by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the deadly Covid-19 virus can stay on food, groceries, and some packaged food for a longer time than others. For example, it lingered on foods with uneven surfaces such as broccoli and raspberries for five days. While it remained on peppers for about seven days at a temperature of 6°C. It was detected on sliced ham and cheddar chees after a week in refrigeration.
The coronavirus was present on bread crusts and pastries for several hours. However, a majority of them declined after a day. This is because the coating of egg wash on croissants and pain au chocolate contained arachidonic and other unsaturated fatty acids. Their anti-viral effects were keeping covid-19 away from food. Researchers revealed that foods with high moisture, saturated fats, and protein tended to have more prolonged survival of covid-19. The study highlights the need for proper handling of food items to avoid contamination before consumption.
More on food safety research
The FSA study revealed viral infection reduces in a few hours on olives and apples. “We suggest that chemicals, such as flavonoids, present in the skin of apples and olives inactivate the virus,” stated C.A. Bryant, S.A. Wilks, and C.W. Keevil, the authors. The lab-based study titled “Survival of SARS-CoV-2 on the surfaces of food and food packaging materials” was conducted in association with The University of Southampton. The FSA artificially contaminated food with SARS-CoV-2 on various food surfaces and tested the amount of infection remaining with time.
“There is currently no documented evidence that food and food packaging materials are a significant source and/or vehicle for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The potential implications for public health are unclear since inhalation of respiratory aerosols and droplets is considered to be the main route of SARS-CoV-2 transmission,” concluded the study. “However, there is the possibility of transmission through contaminated food if the food is in direct contact with the mouth and mucus membranes,” they added.