Safefood: Grocery Packaging Does Not Need to be Disinfected

Grocery packaging does not need to be disinfected after being brought home, according to safety body Safefood.

According to the organisation, there is no evidence that Covid-19 can be transmitted by food packaging, despite fears from consumers.

Dr Linda Gordon, chief specialist in microbiology at Safefood, told press, “A question we’re being asked a lot is whether people should wash or disinfect food packaging when they bring it home from shopping. The simple answer is no – it’s not necessary to sanitise the outside of food packaging as there is no current evidence that the virus can be transmitted in this way.”

Thanks to widespread antimicrobial finishes, such as our in-house finish XtraProtect, bacteria is denied a home to live or grow, making it more difficult for viruses to spread by handling packaging.

“The main risk of transmission is from close contact with infected people,” advises Dr Gordon. “Our advice is to maintain good hygiene habits and to wash your hands regularly and to follow current public health guidelines on social distancing.”