Every day, Le Parisien takes action to answer your questions. Today, we are looking at Julien's question, which asks us: can we buy fruits and vegetables "in bulk"? If yes, should they be washed in hot water? Leave them without touching them for several hours?
Despite the closure of open markets, it is still possible in France to buy vegetables in bulk, either in neighborhood grocery stores, supermarkets or via producers who deliver at home through the Amap system for example.
So, yes, the virus is likely to survive for several hours on inert surfaces such as packaging, for example. But, scientists assure that it does not get through the digestive tract.
For the European Food Safety Authority, “our experience of previous epidemics due to related coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) or Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), shows that transmission via food consumption did not take place. For the moment, nothing indicates that this coronavirus is different in this respect ”
On the other hand, according to the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES), "an infected person can contaminate food by preparing or handling it with dirty hands, or by exposing to infectious droplets during coughing and sneezing ”. Therefore, we must continue to practice barrier gestures and exercise more precautions than usual.
"We wash them before putting them away and we wash our hands well after putting away our shopping."
“Regarding fruits and vegetables, there is no contraindication to their purchase and no risk, as long as they are washed. It is necessary to keep the usual good hygiene practices ”, indicates to the Parisian the General Direction of Health.
“Except that instead of washing them before consuming them, we wash them before putting them away and we wash our hands well after putting away our shopping. And do not especially wash them in the bleach as we have heard here and there, which can be very dangerous, ”recalls the public health organization.
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Furthermore, ANSES specifies that “by analogy with other known coronaviruses, this virus is sensitive to cooking temperatures. Thus, a heat treatment at 63 ° C for four minutes makes it possible to divide by 10,000 the potential contamination of a food product. "
To ask your question or testify, you can write to us using the form available by clicking here or send us an email at coronavirus@leparisien.fr. Find all the answers previously published on our dedicated page.