Staying home during quarantine means eating more snacks. The prevalence of Coronavirus has also made us more sensitive to choice safe snacks. The question that emerge is which food is safer to eat than other foods? Johns Hopkins All Children’s Nutritional Services Clinical Manager Melanie Newkirk, will answer this question.
1. How do we safely serve fruits and vegetables to our children amid Coronavirus worries? What precautions should be taken?
Fresh products are always a great option for a healthy snack, and don’t forget that everyone needs five servings of vegetables and fruits every day, even during an epidemic like Coronavirus.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), consumers must follow common food safety guidelines to clear products for the Coronavirus:
- Cut away any damaged or bruised areas, then rinse fruits and vegetables under running water without soap, bleach or commercial produce washes.
- Brush hard-shelled products such as melons and potatoes.
- Dry the products with a paper towel or a clean cloth towel.
2. How about cooked food? For example, are cookies safe to eat, whether homemade or purchased from a grocery store?
There is no confirmed evidence that the corona virus is transmitted through cooked foods. When cooking at home, always follow general food safety instructions: Wash your hands before preparing food, prepare food in a clean environment.
3. There are many packaged foods that kids love to eat, things like cereals, popcorn, trail mixes and fruit snacks. How can I make sure they are not infected with COVID-19?
There is no way to detect contamination of a box or container with COVID-19. The coronavirus can remain on surfaces (up to 24 hours on cartons and two to three days on plastics, albeit with decreasing concentration over time).
- During shopping, clean your hands as much as possible and avoid touching your face to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus.
- Transfer purchased food to household or plastic containers at home.
- Some may choose to store food for 24-72 hours in a separate storage area (such as a garage or trunk), but keep in mind that high temperatures can be dangerous for storing all food.
4. Sometimes only curbside pick-up will do. Are “to go” orders generally safe?
There is no evidence that food is a source of Coronavirus emissions. However, contact with the delivery person would be dangerous, so maintain hand hygiene and keep a recommended distance of at least 2 meters.
5. Are there any general rules for use or additional precautions that we must maintain food safety in this epidemic?
Coronavirus is a respiratory virus, not a foodborne pathogen, and at the time of writing this article, there is no known evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted through our food or food source.
- In general, try to limit going to the grocery store to increase the physical distance and not to be in public places.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after the shopping or use a hand sanitizer with an alcohol content of at least 60% and do not touch your face.
- When bringing groceries into the house, separate these items from clean items, and after putting food away, clean the surface with soap and water, then disinfect.
6. When children were at home during this time, we recommend regular meals and snacks to the parents.
- Most children need only one and no more than two snacks a day.
- Healthy snack options such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, low-fat dairy and whole grains are recommended, and drinking plenty of water as the best drink during the day is a good choice.
Source: Coronavirus and Safe Snacking