Making Food Takeout and Delivery Safer During Covid-19

How Safe Is Food Takeout and Delivery During COVID-19?
by Eric Gough

During these times, more food is being delivered than ever before. How can you know it is safe to eat?

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, many people are concerned about whether or not eating delivery food or takeouts is safe. This issue has now become even more important since most people are remaining indoors and relying on food delivery services for their meals.

Given how contagious and deadly COVID-19 has proven to be, people are naturally worried that the virus can spread through food delivery and food takeout services.

Mode of Virus Transmission

Experts agree that it is relatively safe to order food takeout and delivery during COVID-19. According to them, there is no scientific proof yet that the virus can spread this way. A major reason for this is that the virus spreads primarily through the air. As infected people speak and breathe, they give off vapors that contain the virus.

Others then breathe in droplets from a person who has the virus and get infected. The virus is particularly adept at spreading via the respiratory tract. However, the virus may not spread as easily through food due to our robust digestive defense. Our stomach has a strong acid that kills much of the bacteria and viruses coming through food. Hence, virus transmission through food is not as big a risk as breathing in the virus.

The current Food and Drug Administration guidelines make it clear that food is unlikely to be a major risk factor in the spread of the disease.

Research

Another important reason for reaching this conclusion is the decades of research on other coronaviruses. Extrapolating the results on other coronaviruses, scientists have a consensus that the novel COVID-19 coronavirus will not spread through food. Keep in mind that coronavirus was first identified in the ‘60s in humans. Decades of research since then provide no evidence of food transmission for coronaviruses.

Although there is no evidence that food takeouts and deliveries can facilitate the spread of COVID-19, it will still be better to play it safe and take the maximum precautions possible.

Cooked Food

One such precaution is to order cooked food (like pizza for instance) instead of food that is partly uncooked like sandwiches. This is particularly important for those at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. This step will give you peace of mind and reassurance since you know that the food has been cooked to temperatures high enough at which viruses, bacteria and pathogens cannot possibly survive.

Food Safety Seal

Another precaution that you can take is to insist on seals that show evidence of tampering when the package that they have been attached to is opened. The FreshLoc2Go seal gives you the reassurance that the food has remained untouched during transit after the entire food package was sealed. With the seal intact, you can rest easy knowing that the food has arrived from the kitchen to your home without getting touched by human hands.

These seals are very sensitive to the slightest of forces. Any attempt at prying open the package will disintegrate the seal so that you can be warned of tampering.

Talk to one of our Specialists about the new SATO FreshLoc2Go – Safe Seal Tamper Evident Labels by calling (800) 643-2664 today!