Published December 8, 2022 at 2:41 pm
Covid 19: The virus could stay longer on some races according to this study – © PIKSEL / iStock
This new British study confirms that the virus could remain for several days on certain foods.
Who hasn’t left their shopping bag “a few hours” outside the door when returning from the supermarket at the beginning of the pandemic? The possibility of the virus remaining on food and food packaging was a real concern at a time when much was still unknown about Covid 19.
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In a British study, commissioned by the “Food Standard Agency” and made public in late November, the researchers tested the survival time of the virus on vegetables sold loose without packaging, fresh products such as cheddar, sliced ham, and finally on various packaging such as trays, bottles plastic, aluminum. They found that the virus stayed longer or shorter depending on the surfaces.
The virus survives more on cheeses and cured meats
According to the study results, the virus survived for several days on cheddar cheese or sliced ham. “These types of food products are high in saturated fat, protein and moisture, which could prolong the potential infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, possibly by preventing its desiccation and inactivation,” the scientists comment. .
On products such as apples, however, the virus disappears within an hour of contamination. This is due to “substances present on or in the skin, and in particular flavonoids says the study. Finally, on the packaging, it was noted that “the level of viral contamination decreases after 24 hours in all humidity conditions,” the researchers add.
Washing your food is enough to protect yourself
The study also points out that the probability of contracting Covid 19 by touching contaminated food or packaging was relatively low compared to other sources of infection such as contact with a sick person.
The results of the study confirm a hypothesis that the researchers had already formulated at the beginning of the epidemic. “The likelihood that you will catch Covid-19 through food is very low,” commented, microbiological risk assessment team leader at the FSA, in a communicated. Washing food before cooking or eating in combination with regular hand washing is therefore sufficient to protect yourself from Covid 19.
