COVID-19 Precautions

It is very unlikely that you can catch coronavirus from food

Food Standards Agency

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by coronavirus which is spread through droplets of fluid from the nose and mouth of an infected person.

These droplets can be airborne or rest on hard surfaces for several days.

Transmittal of the virus is either through breathing in these droplets or transferring them with our hands to our face.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is little direct evidence of people catching the virus from droplets that have ended up on objects (such as food or food packaging) – although it’s difficult to gather this evidence so it can’t be ruled out as a route of transmission.

Reputable chains and good restaurant kitchens are most likely to be geared towards professional, hygienic food preparation, meaning there would be minimal risk from a freshly cooked takeaway meal.

• Any risk from touching infected objects or surfaces can be pretty much eliminated by washing your hands thoroughly and not touching your face.

If you get a takeaway delivery, the risk of packaging contamination can be minimised. “Empty the contents into a clean dish, dispose of the packaging into a refuse bag and wash your hands thoroughly before you eat.” advises Prof Sally Bloomfield, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The Food Standards Agency does stress the risk from food is low and “There is no reason to avoid having ready-to-eat food delivered if it has been prepared and handled properly.“

Calamity Cooks follow the guidance on the prevention of contamination of food and packaging. This includes how our delivery drivers operate.

• The virus is killed by high temperatures (above 70 degrees), so reheated food and containers will be absolutely safe.

If you have any further questions, please do get in touch with us.