Fruits and vegetables are considered an important part of a healthy diet for having great amounts of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, it is very important to investigate the durability of Coronavirus. World Health Organization (WHO) reported no evidence of coronavirus affliction by food consumption such as fruits and vegetables. Nonetheless, the best way to use fruits and vegetables is by washing them with clean water. Moreover, hands should be always washed with water and soap and not use fruits and vegetables by the contaminated hands.
How much fruits and vegetable is needed for body to fight with Coronavirus?
Consumption of fruits and vegetables is suggested to fight coronavirus because it reinforces the immune system of the body. WHO recommended the use of at least 400 g fruits and vegetables per day in quarantine time.
Which technics can be used to minimize the presence of Coronavirus in fruits and vegetables?
As mentioned previously, no Coronavirus has been proved to be in fruits and vegetables. Since they are mostly used as raw material, the technics of hating to 70 °C or high pressure cannot be used to remove Coronavirus. As a result, the following technics are replaced:
– Irradiation in a dose of 2.7-3 kGy;
– Ultraviolet light (245-285 nm) for some foods such as fruit juices, milk, eggs, fruits, and vegetables;
– Immersion in chlorine, ozone gas, and 1% sodium with calcium hypochlorite for 1 min.
2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (IYFV)
UN General Assembly called 2021 the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (IYFV). This year was called so based on the importance of awareness in protecting the nutritional and health profits and achievement to the sustainable development goals. The objectives of this designation include:
- Increasing awareness and making policies to consume fruits and vegetables based on their health and nutritional profits;
- Promoting the healthy, balanced, and varied nutrition and lifestyle based on fruits and vegetables consumption;
- Reducing the wastes and losses in fruits and vegetable food systems;
- Promoting sustainability in storage, transportation, trade, process, evolution, retailing, waste reduction, recycling, and interaction between these processes;
Ref: Durability of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Fruits and Vegetables