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-   -   Food sanitization in the Covid era : Off the shelf, DIY & Cupboard approaches (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifting-gears/223328-food-sanitization-covid-era-off-shelf-diy-cupboard-approaches-5.html)

Got this as a Whatsapp forward:



From livemint:

Covid-19: ITC launches vegetable, fruit cleaning product Nimwash
https://www.livemint.com/companies/n...743275198.html

It's available on Amazon.in
https://www.amazon.in/Nimwash-Vegeta.../dp/B089MCM63F

Got it as a newspaper ad this morning.

Please note that they are being very conservative about what claims they make. Whilst they talk about microbes and germs, and "99.9 of germs," they do not use the word virus at all. Ever. Which leads me to conclude that it might or might not be good as a general disinfectant but I would not buy it if anti-viral was my purpose or priority.

There are a couple of other options available on Amazon. I've purchased both even though they might be little more than snake oil for COVID.

Dabur Veggie wash | Fruits and Vegetables washing Liquid | Removes Germs, Bacteria and Fungus | Contains 100% Safe Ingredients - 500 ml

Veggie Clean, Fruits and Vegetables Washing Liquid, Removes Germs, Chemicals, Waxes, No Soap, 100% Naturally Derived Cleaner, 400 ml

I'm thinking of buying a UV steriliser as it will help cut down my grocery cleaning task and also help sanitize some stuff like my glasses and keys and ID card when I come back from hospital. Any recommendations? I've read this thread, but was wondering if anyone found a reliable product which is safe and also has a good quality UV light source that spreads well in the bag or box. I prefer a completed product as I don't have time to do a full DIY.

Came across this recently launched product by Borosil - Suraksha UV disinfect unit for food and vegetables

https://www.myborosil.com/borosil-su...fect-unit.html

Before going paranoid over sanitizing food items and food deliveries, please read this.

You don't catch covid-19 from eating it...

Broadly true, but it can reach our respiratory system via hands to face, mouth etc. It would be crazy to eat an apple that a covid sufferer had sneezed on.

On the other hand (no pun intended) let's remember that cooking is a great sanitizer.

Am pretty sure any doctor wouldn't advise eating any fruit without washing it first, covid pandemic or not.

Of course, that is true. I am only demonstrating an example covid-19 risk!

This covid mania is astounding! The ridiculous rituals to "sanitize" food that have been resorted to have just reflected both our (lack of) common sense and (unwarranted) fear. Maybe it's just me, I'm a doctor. But in the end, it's an influenza virus! If only Indians were half as diligent in many other aspects of life as they have shown to be in the past 4 months, India would have become the most developed country yet! clap:
How many times did we stop and think 4 months ago before eating literally anything and anywhere?

My recommendation - wash with clean water (except milk, I should add) and cook as you usually would!
Closing this thread would also help.:Frustrati

Exactly! I wonder when common sense will prevail. Or where it existed in the first place at all!:Frustrati

rl: you should see me with a package from Amazon. Lysol in one hand, IPA in the other...

But no, I don't do that stuff with an onion.

A quick question, especially to doctors & epidemiologists:

All media indicated Covid enters through mucosal openings i.e. eyes, nose and mouth.

Now, if a covid positive person sneezes on an apple, to take an example from the earlier posts and someone eat the apple without cleaning/sanitizing, ain't the person bringing the virus to my mouth? (I'm not complicating it with the natural decay over time, virus load, etc.). Therefore, isn't some form of cleaning - washing/sanitizing a good idea?

To add some complication to the above question - most fruits & vegetables go in the fridge in most of our homes and the virus' natural decay slows down considerably at lower temperatures. Therefore, isn't it better to wash/clean/disinfect the item when purchased and then store in the fridge?

Similarly, if we take food ordered from outside, there are two parts - the food itself and the outside surface of the container. The surface can be disinfected or not touched as far as possible. As for the food, being hot it must've killed the virus but to be on a safer side, it can be reheated.

This was my how to catch it from food point. It isn't the eating, but the fact that it will be on hands, fingers, lips, etc. But it was rather a theoretical point because of course we should be washing raw fruit anyway.

Quite simply, as Dr. Faheem Younus puts it (and sorry for the one liner post), we should be more concerned about inhaling the virus, rather than eating it.

If someone wants to be more cautious than others and spend time and money on sanitizing food, we should not discourage that person since the amount of study is not that extensively made on the virus, yet.

The same way many nasty accidents occur in the hands of the most experienced driver, and hence its better not to apply too much of "common sense" generalization in not following safety precautions. I hate to see so many doctors falling prey to COVID-19 in a country like us where we are in shortage of capable doctors anyway. Prevention is always better than cure.