Photo collage including truck on highway, grocery store employees stocking shelves with packaged food and fresh produce, and a row of shopping carts awaiting hungry consumers.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working in various ways to maintain human safety as the country currently faces the pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19). Having food and food safety is very important for our health, and the FDA is working to help ensure that your food and your family's food, and your pets' food, are safe and usable.
Here are three things to know about having food and safety as the country continues to face the pandemic.
Q: Is the food supply safe in the United States?
There is currently no evidence of food or food packaging associated with coronavirus transmission.
It is important to note that unlike gastrointestinal (GI, or stomach-related) viruses that often cause people to get sick through contaminated food, coronavirus is a virus that causes respiratory illness ( associated with breathing).
The primary spread of the virus is thought to be human-to-human. This includes close contact with people (within about 6 feet), and by causing respiratory drops when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It may be possible for a person to get COVID-19 by touching surfaces or objects that contain the virus and then touching their mouth, nose, or perhaps their eyes, but we do not think this is the primary method. of the virus spread at this time.
Regardless, it is always critical to follow the four basic steps of food safety (clean, separate, cooked, and refrigerated) to prevent foodborne illness. It is also important to wash your hands often, and include before preparing and eating food and after preparing pet food.
Q: Are there food shortages?
Many shoppers report going to the grocery store in their area and seeing the shelves empty of some items. There are currently no shortages nationwide, for people or pets, although in some cases you may find that some food in your grocery store is temporarily out of stock. This is mostly because consumers are buying more than usual, and not because there is less food.
For this reason, we want to remind you that there is no need to buy the cost of for several months food. The retail industry suggests that we only buy enough food for one or two weeks at a time, and manufacturers and stores work hard every day to restock what we need.
The FDA is working with the White House, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Homeland Security, and state and international regulatory partners to stay abreast of any impact on food availability for Americans.
Q: What steps is being taken by the government to ensure that we continue to resolve the sudden outbreaks of foodborne illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Associated with foodborne disease pathogens (e.g., Salmonella, E. coli O157: H7, or Hepatitis A), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FDA, and the Safety and Inspection Service USDA Foods continues to work with state and local partners to investigate foodborne illnesses and sudden outbreaks of diseases. Specifically, the CDC continues to oversee and coordinate investigations of multiple states with foodborne illness, consult with states as needed within events within a state, and cooperate fully with investigators of the FDA and others so that contaminated foods can be traced back to the sources and controlled.
The FDA regulates responses to sudden outbreaks and activities related to incidents involving many diseases associated with FDA-regulated human diets and other products. (This includes dietary supplements and cosmetic products.) During this pandemic, the FDA will continue to prepare for, coordinate, and carry out activities in response to food-related illness incidents. .
The FDA also regulates responses to sudden outbreaks associated with animal feed. The staff continues to insist that they are ready to respond to incidents of disease caused by eating animals.
Three things you and your family can do to help keep you safe
• Buy enough food for one or two weeks at a time. Avoid close association with other people (within about 6 feet) when shopping.
• Practice washing your hands often, including before and after meals, before eating all kinds of food, and coming home when you go out.
• There is a lot of misinformation online about the pandemic. You must rely on credible and accurate sources of information such as the FDA, CDC, and USDA.
