Worried about ordering takeout? Here are tips to keep yourself, and your food, clean
With coronavirus causing the closings of restaurant dining rooms, more people are relying on food delivering services such as DoorDash and Uber Eats to satisfy their restaurant needs.
But before opening that Grubhub app, people are asking this question: Is it safe?
As COVID-19 worries keep a firm grip on those who usually dined out before the pandemic locked everyone away as a safety precaution, those same people are wondering if it’s possible to catch the virus if they order from their favorite app.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “There is no evidence to suggest that food produced in the United States can transmit COVID-19.”
Dr. Willam Schaffner, a professor of medicine in the department of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told NPR that there hasn’t been “any information to implicate food-borne transmission,” and that even though COVID-19 is new, coronaviruses are not.
Yet, people are still worried about the food they consume, especially if they don’t know who is handling it before it reaches them.
The good news is there are ways to keep your food, and yourself, safe during the pandemic.
Michigan State University Extension food safety experts composed a list of easy steps to follow when either grabbing takeout from a restaurant or when ordering delivery from an app:
“Utilize contactless delivery.” If you’re ordering from an app such as DoorDash, make sure you ask the driver to leave your order outside your front door in a safe area. Abide by the social distancing 6 feet rule when bringing the food inside.
“Follow the social distancing rule.” When picking up from a restaurant, be sure to abide by the social distancing rule and stand 6 feet from restaurant employees. Same goes for drive-thru employees.
“Beat the rush.” Try to order food during non-rush hours to avoid as many people as possible.
“Wear a mask.” When going through a drive-thru or picking up food from a restaurant, always cover your face.
“Explore alternatives.” During the pandemic, select restaurants are now featuring self-serving pickup counters to reduce direct face-to-face contact.
Is it safer to order delivery or takeout?
While the safer option when satisfying your hunger during the COVID pandemic is to make food in the quarantined safety of your home, those who wish to forgo the kitchen altogether and order out weigh which option is less dicey.
Experts have weighed in on the delivery vs. takeout debate, and most have said that having food delivered is the riskier of the two options.
According to sites such as Eater.com, food delivery workers who commonly go door-to-door run a higher risk of encountering a person who might carry the virus.
All the major on-demand prepared food delivery services have now implemented the “contactless delivery” option where drivers leave a customer’s food at their doorstep instead of handing it over face-to-face.
When handling delivery food, it’s best to abide by the same safety rules as when handling takeout food you pick up from a restaurant.
“Move your food order into dishes and immediately throw out takeout bags and containers.”
“Wash your hands after handling takeout bags and containers and clean all surfaces the items touched.”
“Wash your hands with soap and water again before eating.”
Staying safe while picking up from a drive-thru
For your own sake and for the sake of food service people you’re encountering, always abide by the same social distancing rules that you follow when out walking around in public.
Here are some tips when at the drive-thru window:
Always wear gloves when making transactions and always make sure not to touch your face while wearing gloves.
If you don’t have a pair of gloves, Good Housekeeping suggests that hand sanitizer will suffice until you get home.
Wash your hands once you get home in case an infected person came in contact with the bag your food is in.
Don’t use cash. Use a credit card or debit card, according to Consumer Reports.
Always use your own pen when signing receipts.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 2:14 PM with the headline "Worried about ordering takeout? Here are tips to keep yourself, and your food, clean."