Is it recommended to clean food packaging or parcels?
“According to PHE and the WHO, there is minimal risk of catching the virus via parcels and letters, so it is safe to send and receive these items,” said Tom Ironside, director of business and regulation at the British Retail Consortium. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), “[COVID-19 is] not known to be transmitted by exposure to food or food packaging.”
Well, it seems that there is no scientific evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted by food or parcels. Moreover, when it comes to food, the biggest risk is to be around other people who are infected with this new coronavirus in the grocery store.
For instance, if a sick person sneezes or coughs over the food without covering his (or her) mouth and nose and you touch it right after they did this and then you touch your face, then you may become infected with this virus. So, this is the only case in which the new coronavirus can be passed through food packaging. In this case, it is recommended to clean the food packaging when you come back home.
Do not forget to wash and sanitize your hands every time before you eat. Do not wash your fresh fruits or vegetables with soap, because it can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Instead, you can wash them in cold water without adding extra chemicals.
As for parcels, you should throw away the packaging once you have opened the parcel and wash your hands properly for at least twenty seconds. “Dispose of waste in your usual rubbish bin and wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds using soap and water,” according to PHE experts.
