Is it safe to use food delivery services during the pandemic?
- Experts agree that it is highly unlikely that COVID-19 can be spread through food
- Diligent hand-washing is key to reducing risks of spreading COVID-19
- Many food delivery services are offering “contactless delivery” options
- Food delivery services are helping keep small businesses afloat
- Try multi-restaurant delivery with Kitchen United and support independent restaurants in your area
We’re living in a strange time. We’re now questioning activities we previously wouldn’t think twice about. A few months ago, we wouldn’t have thought twice about getting take-out or using a food delivery service app like UberEats or Postmates, but now we’re asking, “Can I catch coronavirus from food?” or “Is it safe to order dinner from a restaurant?” Fortunately for us foodies, the experts say that it is very unlikely COVID-19 can be passed through food.
Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of medicine in the department of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told NPR, “While COVID-19 is new to us, coronaviruses are not, and with all the studies done on these viruses, there has never been any information to implicate food-borne transmission.”
Image Credit: Photo by 🇨🇭 Claudio Schwarz | @purzlbaum on Unsplash
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agrees that “there is no evidence to support the transmission of COVID-19 associated with food.” The CDC also states “because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging.” They continue to encourage consumers to be diligent in washing their hands regularly, especially prior to preparing or consuming food.
Don Schaffner, a Rutgers University professor who specialized in quantitative microbial risk assessment, predictive food microbiology, hand-washing, and cross-contamination, told NPR, “from what we currently know about the virus, it’s safe to eat food prepared at restaurants so long as you take the proper precautions – in particular hand-washing.”
The consensus from these experts is that we are perfectly safe to continue our use of food delivery services and take-out so long as we take the appropriate precautions. Many of the popular food delivery services, like UberEast, GrubHub, and Postmates, are taking steps to protect their deliverers and their customers, such as “contact-free delivery” or “leave at my door” delivery options, which are designed to reduce interaction between deliverers and customers. GrubHub is also giving customers the option to pick up their orders themselves.
Food delivery services are not only keeping us from food boredom and reducing our social interactions but these services are also helping independent restaurants and grocers stay in business during this strange time. While many of us are refraining from eating out or making multiple trips to the grocery store, food delivery service apps are continuing to funnel customers to these smaller businesses through their online platforms.
Kitchen United Mix offers multi-restaurant ordering, which allows you to not only satisfy cravings of any kind, but also support multiple restaurants with a single order. Located in [Chicago, IL; Pasadena, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; and Austin, TX], Kitchen United Mix is a chance for you to embrace your inner foodie and satisfy every sweet and salty craving you’re having.
Links:
Chicago https://order.kitchenunited.com/chicago
Pasadena https://orders.kitchenunited.com/pasadena
Scottsdale https://order.kitchenunited.com/scottsdale