Can the Coronavirus Be Transmitted Through What We Eat?

Hygiene Rules Must Be Followed from Production to Consumption

All packaged products, whether frozen or not, must comply with hygiene rules from the production stage. It is extremely important for people working in production to pay attention to hand hygiene. Because although the virus is transmitted through droplets, the virus that comes into contact with the hands can pass on to food products on a package or during food preparation. After touching these products, the disease can also be transmitted as a result of contact with the mouth and nose. In other words, contamination may occur not directly with food, but as a result of consuming food products that sick people come into contact with, especially without cooking. For this reason, it should be ensured that people working in food production pay attention to hand hygiene.

Frozen Products Should Be Used by Thawing Once

Packaged and frozen products must be cooked and consumed in accordance with hygiene rules. In addition, the once-thawed product should never be frozen again. Likewise, products prepared at home should be stored in the deep freezer in quantities to be used and should be consumed when thawed.

It Is Important That the Food Is Not Contaminated With The Virus

Considering that it is not possible for the coronavirus to be transmitted through digestion, the hygiene rules during the preparation stage must be followed for ice cream or iced drinks, which are consumed a lot, especially in summer. For this reason, products that are reliable and ensure that these rules are followed from production to packaging should be consumed. Care should be taken not to touch food products contaminated with the virus, and when touched, to wash the hands for at least 20-30 seconds with soap and water, without touching the mouth, nose, and eyes. Maximum attention should be paid to hand hygiene and hands should be washed frequently.

Raw and Cooked Foods Should Not Be Kept Side by Side

As always, it is necessary to pay attention to hygiene practices in food consumption. Some basic rules must be followed in all processes of food from production to consumption. The most important of these is the rule of keeping the cleaning and the cleaned products separate during the production stage. Raw and cooked foods should not be kept together, this rule should also be applied at home, and raw and cooked foods should not be placed side by side after shopping. Clean and dirty foods should be kept separate and cooked in accordance with the cooking rules written on them.

Products With Torn Packaging Should Not Be Bought

When buying food products, care should be taken not to buy products with torn packaging. Foods that are ensured to comply with food safety management techniques should be bought. In particular, the products of companies that are far from control, which is called under-the-counter, should definitely not be bought. It should be ensured that they are stored in appropriate storage and temperature conditions.

Raw and Cooked Foods Should Be Separated During Packaging and Storage

Raw animal foods and other foods should be kept separately at the shopping stage before reaching the stage of consuming the produced foods. Furthermore, non-food items and foods should be kept separately, and this rule should be observed during the packaging stage. In addition, cooked and raw foods should not come into contact with each other. The surfaces that raw foods come into contact with must be washed with appropriate detergent and hot water before each different food use.

Pay Attention to Freezing and Cooking Degrees

Necessary hygiene rules should be observed not only during the COVID-19 period but always while preparing food. It is extremely important not to consume raw foods such as meat, milk, and eggs, which should be consumed after cooking, especially during this period. However, care should be taken to ensure that the cooking temperature of the food is above 60-65 degrees.

Frozen Products Should Not Be Thawed Outside

Since microorganisms are found in foods between 4-60 degrees, they should be cooled at temperatures below 4 degrees, and foods that need to be stored in the refrigerator should not be kept at room temperature for too long. They should be stored at the temperatures indicated on the packaging. Frozen foods should not be thawed outside, these products should be either placed on the top shelf of the refrigerator the day before or defrosted in the microwave. It should definitely not be thawed on the kitchen counter for a long time. Because microorganisms whose development stops with the freezing process lose their vitality only when they are cooked at appropriate temperatures. 
The point to remember: Foodborne infections can be prevented, provided that all products comply with hygiene rules from production to consumption.