Poles want a ban on touching food products in stores. What does science say?

The survey conducted by CE Research and SYNO Poland for the BLIX Group and Hiper-Com Poland shows that as much as 71 percent. of respondents believe that stores should be banned from touching fresh produce during the coronavirus pandemic.

We have another increase in coronavirus infections in the country. This week on Thursday, the daily number of new infected has increased to 418 new cases. This is the highest increase in a month, for which new infection outbreaks in Silesia are the most responsible.

Poles are not indifferent to these data. In the CE Research and SYNO Poland study, as much as 71 percent. respondents were in favor of introducing a temporary ban on touching fresh products for fear of the transmission of the coronavirus on the surface of vegetables, bread, fruit, etc.

Coronavirus on food products - is it possible to get infected?

The question is quite legitimate. After all, we know that the coronavirus persists up to 3 hours in the air, up to 4 on copper surfaces, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel surfaces. But what about food? This question has already been answered by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), which claims that there is currently no evidence that food is one of the routes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

- Based on data on SARS and MERS viruses, the virus is unlikely to be transmitted through food, and there is as yet no evidence that this has happened, we read in the EFSA release

The same opinion is shared by the Polish Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, whose representatives stated that there is no scientific evidence that anyone contracted the coronavirus through the ingestion, contact with bread and other food. GIS adds, however, that the lack of evidence on this topic does not absolve anyone from maintaining hygiene and safety rules.

This more or less coincides with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommends that despite the dubious risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 via food, the same hygiene rules as for prophylaxis against food poisoning should be followed.

In other words: it is worth touching food in stores with a glove, and after returning from shopping, wash all purchased products. In the case of bread, the Polish GIS recommends that if in doubt, place them in an oven preheated to 180-200 degrees C for about 2 minutes.

In addition, we should also follow the principles of social distancing.

It is, of course, about wearing masks indoors, distancing yourself from other people, disinfecting your hands, and wearing gloves before selecting food in grocery stores. This is probably not the last increase in the daily number of infections in Poland and as long as we do not have an effective vaccine, we must constantly remember that we are still exposed to the risk of contracting the coronavirus.

Poles want a ban on touching food products in stores. What does science say?