Sunday, March 22, 2020

Coronavirus food safety

Although the main method of transmission is through inhalation, there is growing evidence of a fecal-oral route.

The ACE2 receptor is expressed in the lining of the mouth, esophagus, and intestines. So imagine that you're chewing contaminated food. The virus attaches to the cells lining your mouth, gets inside, and that's the beginning of infection.

Fortunately, this virus is very sensitive to heat, so even lightly cooked food is not a problem. I'm attaching graphs of heat inactivation.

It is also killed by acid. Vinegar and lemon juice are both more than acidic enough to do the trick. Most shelf-stable salad dressings are acidic enough to kill any virus on your salad.

To be on the safe side, I have been disinfecting everything that comes into my house, including food. I wipe down the outside of packages with alcohol, and put produce through a soapy water bath. It wouldn't be a bad idea to splash some vinegar into the soapy water, too.

If you're getting take-out, I'd wipe down the outside of the package. And if the food has cooled during delivery, reheat it. I would not eat any take-out that was not either hot or acidic.

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