The emergence of the pandemic in 2020 has shuttered the world. We don’t meet with friends to have a couple of beers on Friday evening. We don’t have a chance to gossip about a boss during a coffee break in the office. We don’t shake hands, hug, or kiss.
The activities that used to be completely normal for us a couple of months ago became the source of potential hazard to our health. Knowing that our life is at stake, we started to rethink all the activities we do and exclude all the potential sources of virus.
Being on lockdown we miss eating out. No matter how great our cooking skills are, there is always this special dish that only your favourite restaurant serves. Luckily for us, there is food delivery. And we can always make our day more special by ordering sushi or steaks.
But is food delivery safe? Or maybe the meal we order can become the source of the virus? In this article, you’ll find an answer.
Well, first of all everything depends on you. If you order food from a very cheap place, don’t expect that the people working there don’t follow strict rules of safety. The restaurants with a good reputation will never let their workers prepare food without masks and gloves and will never give the package to the currier whose face isn’t covered.
For those who work from home and still don’t have enough time to cook, home chefs are the rescue. Their popularity has grown much during the pandemic. Indeed, sometimes you spend the whole day at home, but there is no free minute to prepare meals. This type of food delivery is also safe if the chef follows all the rules created for a kitchen staff during the quarantine period. Therefore, always read Home Chef reviews and do a lot of research about the place you order food from.
If you cannot control what’s going on in the kitchen where your food is being prepared, you shouldn’t think that safety doesn’t depend on you. Always check whether a courier has gloves and a face mask. If you choose contactless delivery, you’ll minimise the risk of direct contagion. Always wear a mask when picking your food up for extra protection whether you chose contactless or face-to-face delivery. Being extra cautious is never too much nowadays.
It will be the best if you have the possibility to sanitise the package the food came in. You can use the same spray as for your hands. But remember, that the substances that are used for furniture of other items in your house are not always appropriate for food. You can get food poisoning if you use a wrong sanitiser for food containers.
Don’t eat from the boxes that your food has arrived in. Yes, I know how annoying it is to wash the dishes when it’s not really necessary. But this is the best solution for your own safety. Also, don’t use the cutlery some restaurants may give to you together with the meal you’ve ordered.
You can either leave the note that you don’t need plastic utensils or just not use them at all. The virus we are talking about today can stay on a plastic surface for up to 2 days. While the food you eat is not the most agreeable place for the virus to survive- it’s very hot, moist, sometimes spicy, the plastic box and the utensils that are used to consume it are a perfect place for Corona to stay for a long time.
Always do the research about the food delivery company you use. Read the policy regarding the pandemic and which measures they take in order to make the process of delivery as safe as possible. Also, remember to read the reviews about the company. If some bad situations take place, people will always write about it.
Not so many places offer their own delivery. But very often, this is the safest option. For every restaurant, the reputation is a priority, therefore, they will try to make their customers feel as safe as possible and follow all the rules.
Remember to not pay in cash. Always make transactions online or use a credit or debit card which can be sanitised after. Paper money spreads a lot of viruses, not only the COVID-19.
So, safe or not so safe- this is the question. The answer merely depends on you. Be responsible while ordering food and make sure you make this process as safe as possible. The virus is not likely to stay on a hot and moist food, but always take into account other ways in which it can reach you.
