Back at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, none of us knew what we were dealing with. How long would this last? How dangerous was this virus, actually? How could we defend against it? Now that we’ve been dealing with the novel coronavirus for the better part of a year, we may not have all the data we’d like, but we do know more than we did back in February or March.
One area where science has established some solid answers is that of Covid-19 and food safety. Although it is of course wise to be cautious in protecting from the virus in all situations–especially as numbers continue to rise—there’s still very good news about Covid-19’s transmission (or lack thereof) through food.
According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), there is still no evidence that handling food or consuming food is linked to the transmission of Covid-19. In fact, even the risk of catching the virus from food served at restaurants is considered very low. Although there have certainly been cases of Covid-19 among food service workers, zero cases of transmission through food, food packaging, or shopping bags have been confirmed, says the CDC.
Even—gross!—an infected person sneezing into your food isn’t likely to result in your infection, according to researchers at the University of California-Davis. This is because, as a respiratory droplet-mediated disease, the virus actually has to enter your respiratory tract (not your mouth) to create an infection.
Despite a lot of very positive reports, many people continue to have concerns about Covid-19 and food. In a September 2020 survey conducted by the International Food Information Council, nearly half of respondents said they were concerned about food safety when preparing meals and snacks at home—with virus exposure risk at the top of the list of worries. Many people surveyed expressed anxiety about contracting the virus from food handlers, and one in four said they believed meat had become less safe since the start of the pandemic. Younger people in particular (those under 45) were more likely to be skeptical of the safety of their food in these troubling times.
At CaterSquad, we hope that the data from public health sources can help you feel confident that the risk of virus transmission from your catering order is extremely low, if not nil. Meanwhile, we’re doing everything we can to provide the safest food possible to you and your clients. Our partners follow local food safety standards, while delivery personnel are abiding by National Restaurant Association safety protocols.
If you have concerns about the safety of the food in your catering order, feel free to reach out to your CaterSquad rep, who can answer specific questions. We’re committed to keeping you and your clients well. We believe we can all rest assured that science supports continuing to serve (and eat) meals outside the home. And if it’s catered food from your favorite restaurant, so much the better!