We all want to keep our families safe and healthy, especially in this time when the coronavirus presents such a real need to do so.  No one wants to end up at the doctor’s office or the hospital with a foodborne illness* (*There is no credible evidence that the coronavirus is spread by food or food […]

We return today to handwashing, since that seems to be such an important response to the coronavirus and COVID-19, and some good news and fun for a Friday. The good news: so many sources are sharing consistent (and evidence-based) messages about food safety and nutrition.  Many of these messages are ‘old friends’, and practicing food safety and healthy […]

In this time of the coronavirus, are fresh fruits and vegetables safe to eat?  Yes!  There is no reason to assume that fresh fruits and vegetables are unsafe because there isn’t any evidence that the coronavirus is transmitted by food.  Regardless of where fresh produce originates, around the corner or around the world, fruits and vegetables […]

As the weather warms, looking ahead to gardening in the weeks and months ahead can be a favorite past-time.  Are there any special precautions that we need to take when growing fruits and vegetables this spring and summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic?  Experts actually recommend preparing the garden and starting seedlings indoors as great activities for individuals […]

Are foods from the grocery store safe?  There is no evidence that we can get COVID-19 from the food that we eat – either from the food itself or from touching a package or container of food.  The way that we get the COVID-19 illness is from breathing in infected droplets from someone coughing or sneezing.  […]

Many of us have had the experience recently of seeing empty, or nearly empty, grocery store shelves.  Do we need to worry if there is enough food?  The good news is that despite what we may be seeing, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assures us that the food supply is safe and secure.  Despite localized reports, there […]

With a ‘Safer at Home‘ order, many of us are looking to foods stocked in our pantries and cupboards to help feed our families.  What do dates on food products tell us? If the date is past, is the food still safe?  In most cases, yes!  Dates on food package labels are generally quality dates, an indication […]

We all know that hand washing is an important defense against coronavirus.  As we work to keep ourselves and our families healthy, routine cleaning and disinfecting of areas in our homes is important.  Cleaning removes dirt from surfaces, while disinfecting kills germs that remain after cleaning. What is the best way to clean and disinfect the kitchen?  Follow these steps: Clean […]

What do we know about food safety and COVID-19?  COVID-19 is caused by one of a family of coronaviruses.  COVID-19 is a respiratory illness.  The primary route of infection is through air-borne virus particles from the droplets of a sneeze or cough of an infected individual.  If you breathe in virus-containing droplets of mucus or saliva from […]

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is a respiratory virus.  While the Centers for Disease Control does not consider COVID-19 to be a foodborne illness, there are actions that you can take to prevent foodborne illness that appear effective in fighting the coronavirus.  Of the food safety steps in helping to mitigate coronavirus, hand washing appears to be the most important.  Avoiding contact with […]