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Ordering food delivery can be a good way to add variety to your meal rotation and help local restaurants. However, it can be stressful wondering how safe food delivery really is. Although there is no current evidence to suggest COVID-19 can be transmitted through food, there are some precautions you can take when ordering food delivery (specifically when it comes to the packaging) that can help.
Keep reading for the one mistake you should stop making when ordering food for takeout!
Not Making A Plan
Before ordering food for delivery, it's a good idea to have a plan for how you are going to receive the food and dispose of the packaging.
This includes requesting contactless delivery and arranging a contactless tip for the delivery driver. It's also important to note that supporting restaurants by ordering delivery from them directly might give them more profit than ordering through a third party delivery service.
You should also prepare your home for receiving the food. According to NPR, a good first step is "to create a safe food environment when the food arrives by cleaning any surfaces it will touch."
It's also smart to get your plates and utensils ready, so you can transfer the food from the takeout containers before throwing out the extra packaging.
NPR continues, "A research letter study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in March indicated that the coronavirus was detectable for up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to three days on plastic and stainless steel."
Once you've disposed of the packaging, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Then clean and sanitize where you unpacked the food.
