The safety of consuming food prepared by someone with COVID-19 is a common concern, given the close contact involved in preparation. Public health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have investigated this route of transmission. Their findings provide a clear consensus on the safety of consuming food under these circumstances. Understanding how the virus primarily spreads offers reassurance while highlighting practical steps for hygiene in any kitchen setting.
Is SARS-CoV-2 Transmitted Through Ingestion?
Scientific bodies agree that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, is not classified as a foodborne illness, unlike pathogens such as Salmonella or Norovirus. COVID-19 is fundamentally a respiratory disease. Transmission primarily occurs through the inhalation of respiratory droplets and aerosols expelled by an infected person, entering the body through the nose, mouth, or eyes, not the digestive tract.
There is no credible evidence suggesting that consuming contaminated food can lead to infection. Even if viral particles land on food during preparation, the human digestive system provides powerful defenses. The harsh, highly acidic environment of the stomach is effective at inactivating and destroying the virus before it can reach the gastrointestinal tract.
Epidemiological surveillance systems in multiple countries have not attributed any COVID-19 outbreaks to the consumption of contaminated food products or packaging. The international consensus holds that the risk of transmission through ingestion is low. The main risk remains close, person-to-person contact with an infected individual, not the food itself.
Fomite Risk and Viral Survival on Food Surfaces
While the risk of catching COVID-19 from eating the food is minimal, contamination from surfaces or packaging, known as fomite transmission, is a separate consideration. This occurs when an infected person coughs or sneezes onto a surface or touches it with contaminated hands, leaving infectious particles behind. The risk is then transferred when a person touches the contaminated surface and subsequently touches their mouth, nose, or eyes.
The virus can survive for varying lengths of time on non-porous materials commonly found in a kitchen environment. Under controlled laboratory conditions, infectious SARS-CoV-2 can remain viable for up to 72 hours on stainless steel and plastic surfaces, such as utensils and containers. Survival time is shorter on porous materials like cardboard, often lasting less than 24 hours at room temperature.
Survival is also significantly influenced by temperature, with the virus remaining infectious for longer periods in cold environments. Studies show that SARS-CoV-2 can survive on refrigerated foods and packaging materials for several days or weeks when held at refrigeration or freezing temperatures. The primary contamination pathway in the food setting is cross-contamination from handling, not the food becoming intrinsically infectious.
Essential Food Safety Practices
Since the main theoretical risk involves surface contamination from a sick preparer, practicing rigorous food hygiene is the most effective preventative measure. Both the preparer and the consumer should focus on minimizing the chance of transferring viral particles from a surface to their face.
Thorough handwashing remains the most important action. This should be done with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after preparing food, and before eating. The friction and detergents in soap effectively destroy the viral envelope, rendering the particle inactive.
Regularly cleaning and sanitizing kitchen surfaces and utensils is necessary, especially high-touch areas like countertops, cutting boards, and handles. Using common household disinfectants, such as a diluted bleach solution or alcohol-based wipes, quickly eliminates any lingering viral particles.
Finally, ensure that all foods, particularly meat, poultry, and eggs, are cooked to safe minimum internal temperatures. While cooking heat is not required to eliminate the ingestion risk of SARS-CoV-2, it ensures the destruction of other common foodborne pathogens and provides an added layer of safety against any potential viral contamination.