Update on Food Safety and Covid-19

Food is a necessity of life, and the ongoing job of buying and preparing food for our families goes on despite the Covid-19 crisis.  For some people, spending more time at home has let them rediscover the joys of baking bread or cooking from scratch.  For others, the new mechanics of going to the grocery store have become really stressful.

So, let’s reduce some of the stress.  Recent information about food safety and Covid-19 is reassuring.  Cornell’s Institute of Food Safety held a Q&A session on July 7, and the main points were:  1. wear a mask in the grocery store, 2. maintain social distance, and 3. wash your hands when you get home.  The virus is spread almost exclusively by respiratory droplets from an infected person entering the nose, mouth, or eyes—not through touching food or food packaging, as the virus can’t live long outside the human body.  One of the speakers, Dr. Martin Weidmann, said in a previous session that the chances of getting the virus from food or packaging might be compared to the chances of being struck by lightning when you’re inside your house.  There is a recommendation, however, to use a disinfecting wipe on the handle of the cart when you get to the store, because you’re touching the handle for a while and it’s relatively close to your face, compared to the rest of the cart or the items in the cart.  Also, if you’re using reusable bags, keep them clean.  If you’re in a high risk group, talk to your doctor about whether you should take stricter measures, such as using home delivery.

Of concern, according to the speakers, is that over-zealous people have gotten sick by using cleaning chemicals on their food or leaving perishable food outside too long before bringing it indoors.  Especially during the hot summer months, keep food stored at the right temperature to prevent real food-borne illnesses.  Check out the links below for tip sheets, infographics, and videos on food safety and Covid-19, as well as on summer food safety in general.

Another way to reduce stress is to keep food preparation light and simple.  This delicious Corn, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad uses fresh summer produce and fits the bill.


Corn, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad

salad

Serve as a salad, topping, or salsa
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients: 

4 ears of corn, cooked (2 to 2 ½ cup corn kernels) or 1 can corn

2 large ripe tomatoes

2 medium cucumbers

½ cup lime juice or vinegar (white, red, or cider)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 medium red onion, diced

6 Tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions: 

  1. Cut the kernels from the corn cob and place in medium bowl, or open and drain one can of corn.
  2. Seed and dice the tomatoes and cucumbers and add to the bowl.
  3. In a smaller bowl, mix together lime juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Stir in red onion and set aside.
  4. Toss corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers with dressing.
  5. Add chopped parsley just before serving.

Nutrition Facts:  Serving size:  ¾ cup, 92 calories, 4 g total fat, 2 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 1 g saturated fat, 148 mg sodium.  Recipe Source:  modified from a recipe at http://fnec.cornell.edu/

Food Safety and Covid-19 Consumer Resources:

General Food Safety:

Brought to you by:

Joan Martin
SNAP-Ed Nutritionist, Southern Finger Lakes Region
jdm458@cornell.edu