It has recently been reported in local media that various measures are being taken at Pitkali as well as the fish markets in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible. But which precautions should be exactly taken at individual level, from both the vendors’ and the consumers’ point of view, to ensure everyone’s safety when selling or purchasing fresh produce?
The Newspoint team contacted Prof. Everaldo Attard from the UM’s Institute of Earth Systems to give some advice on the issue.
While shelved items purchased from food supply outlets are easier to deal with because they can either be left aside for a couple of days before use, or disinfected with soap and water, fresh produce needs to be treated differently.
Since most of the produce from agricultural and fishery activities are perishable, and may be consumed raw, precautions should be taken from both the farmer, fisher or vendor’s side and the consumer’s side:
- Picking, sorting and packing of produce should be carried out with gloved hands. It should be stated that the use of latex gloves serves to both ensure no cross contamination of crop diseases and to minimise the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, the wearing of gloves may lead to improper food handling and a false sense of security;
- During these operations, hands should be frequently washed with soap and water or rubbed with an alcohol sanitiser;
- The operator should not touch their face or any other surface;
- The operations mentioned above are best managed on a stainless-steel surface that can be easily and frequently cleaned to prevent the spread of diseases;
There is no proof that the novel coronavirus can be acquired from fresh fruit and vegetables, however, consumers should clean the produce, especially if this is soiled and because this may potentially harbour potentially harmful bacteria other than COVID-19.
- Soap is not approved as a disinfectant on produce. There are more risks than benefits with the use of soap, as soap residues may be consumed, causing toxicities in humans;
- Produce should be cleaned well under running water and where possible, the outer skin or layer of the fruit or vegetable should be removed.
- Potassium permanganate and food-grade hypochlorites should be used with caution. If used, produce should be soaked for a few seconds and then washed under the tap with copious amounts of water.
All in all, proper food handling should not apply to such an extraordinary situation only, but practised in everyday life.