Advice given in a segment on the ABC’s 7:30 Report to wash fruit and vegetables in soapy water is incorrect, fresh produce industry body Produce Marketing Association Australia New Zealand says.
It is the latest in a string of misinformation about food safety and COVID-19, PMA ANZ said.
In a segment by Dr Norman Swan on 13 April, Professor Raina Macintyre from the Kirby Institute said washing fruit and vegetables in soapy water was “a good idea”.
PMA ANZ head of food safety Deon Mahoney reasserted that fruits and vegetables are safe to eat and should not be washed with soapy water or disinfectants.
“It’s disappointing to see factually incorrect statements continually pushed to consumers in what is already a very stressful time.
“The advice at the moment is simple, in the home, wash your hands correctly before preparing food and also before eating. Wash your fresh fruit and vegetables thoroughly, but don’t use soap or detergents – they are not formulated for food,” Mahoney said.
CSIRO senior food microbiology consultant Cathy Moir said it was not sensible or practical to wash all the food consumers take into their homes, particularly when Australia isn’t experiencing widespread environmental contamination or extensive community transmission of the virus.
Moir said: “Washing fruit and vegetables in fresh water just prior to eating is enough. Hand soap or dishwashing detergent are not designed for direct use on food.
“Remember, there is no evidence you get a respiratory coronavirus infection from eating it.”
PMA ANZ global chief science officer Dr Max Teplitski echoed the advice. “Wash produce only immediately before consumption. Do not spray it with household chemicals, do not wash produce with soap or laundry bleach,” he said.
Consumers can be reassured that food authorities globally are providing advice that food is not a vehicle for the transmission of this virus. There is no evidence that illness caused by respiratory viruses can be transmitted via contaminated food at this stage, Teplitski said.
Moir also said viruses don’t ‘live’ or grow outside of their host, they “merely exist until they are able to infect their next host”. There is no need to refrigerate food that you wouldn’t normally, she said.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has detailed advice on the virus and food safety.
It said: “COVID-19 is not a foodborne illness. There's no current evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted through food and no reported cases of COVID-19 have been linked to contamination of food.
“Thoroughly washing fresh fruit and vegetables under running water before eating is a good idea to remove surface dirt. Use of soap, disinfectants or detergents to wash your food is not recommended. These products are not designed for consumption and may actually be unsafe to use with food.”
Mahoney said: “Please continue to eat fresh fruit, vegetables and salads. There is no evidence to suggest you become infected from eating coronavirus. The best advice is to wash your hands with soap when preparing fruit and vegetables and to rinse fresh produce with water just before you eat it.”
Food safety and COVID-19 resources for F&B sector
For food and beverage manufacturers FSANZ also has a cleaning and sanitising fact sheet.
Food Safety authorities are:
Health.Vic - Advice for Food Businesses
NSW Food Authority - Advice for Food Businesses
New Zealand - COVID-19 and food safety
Safe Food Production Queensland - COVID-19 Advice for Food Businesses
SA Health - Advice for Food businesses and industry
Tasmania - COVID-19 Food safety advice
WHO/FAO - COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for Food Businesses
Latest COVID-19 updates - see the Australian Government Department of Health website.
