Wipe down groceries without wasting supplies
The FDA currently says there’s “no evidence of food, food containers, or food packaging being associated with the transmission of COVID-19.” However, health experts disinfecting groceries, even if the risk is very low. It’s still a possibility that a sick person handled those packages before delivering them to you and you touching them and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, can result in you and your whole family getting sick.
Research indicates that SARS-CoV-2 can remain active on plastic and stainless steel surfaces for up to three days, on cardboard for up to 24 hours, on copper for four hours, and in the air for up to three hours. “To take maximum precautions, wipe down the packaging,” says Nguyen.
However, you only need to use a little bit of disinfectant, because it goes a long way. Use one wipe, a spray of disinfectant, or even soap and water if the product is waterproof. If you’re really short on supplies or you ran out of disinfectants, leave your package untouched for at least 24 hours.
