Washing Groceries

We're washing just about everything now, but are you washing your groceries and packages?

A local doctor is sharing advice when it comes to safely purchasing food during the coronavirus pandemic.

News 12's taylor bishop spoke with her on the importance of food safety during this time.

Nat pop with cases of covid-19 increasing shoppers and employees are taking extra precautions when it comes to buying groceries.

"so with coronavirus right now it is important that we do, that we are aware that coronavirus can live on surfaces.

So we should be washing our groceries, we should at least be looking out for the mail we open, and we should make sure that we really are washing our hands" doctor toombs-withers, a local physician says covid-19 can live on surfaces for longer than we would expect.

"surfaces like cardboard, so those packages that we are getting from amazon it can live on those surfaces for about twenty-four hours.

Then even on plastic surfaces, stainless steel like your counter tops it can live for up to two or three days even on those things.

So it's really important that we are mindful of this and that this virus can still be prestent even though you don't physically see it" but some think this extra washing step is unnecessary.

"if you think about it if everyone is doing what they are supose to the people that are handling those groceries should already be cleaning them anyway and taking extra precautions to make sure that doesn't happen" doctor toombs-withers says from grocery to table its best to wash produce and even containers with warm water and soap.

"definitally want to clean the top with that soap and warm water cause that's where your going to be handling it to open your bottle up.

Then just clean down the sides of it, as we do with our hands twenty seconds if preferable to make sure we are actually killing any potential contaminants" also minimizing the time spent at the store by planning ahead and only touching the items that you'll be taking home.

"if you have to go out and have to get those groceries they do want to make sure that they are washing their hands, they don't want to eat anything on their way home right when picking it up.

They want to make sure that they are washing their hands after touching those surfaces" toombs says these are just a few extra ways to keep people and food safe.

In chattanooga, taylor bishop news 12 now after having