Covid-19 how is your Food enterprise responding

 Covid-19 how is your food enterprise responding?

We’ve been working with Australian and international research partners to put together a research survey that is attempting to capture data about the impact of COVID19 on local food supply networks, and the resilience of these networks. Over the past months, we’ve heard on-the-ground stories of this sector’s resilience and how farmers, markets, and food hubs are responding to support communities. We need to build the evidence base that demonstrates that value and helps funders and others understand the gaps in support for this sector. We also hope that gathering this info while it’s fresh will provide valuable lessons on how people responded and will help people prepare for other food system shocks in the future. Answers to the questions are being collated into the open database which anyone can draw on following this event. We will also make sure we pull out key findings into easy-to-access info sheets or posts.

We take growing food and feeding our community very seriously. We love doing it, but for all of us at the Co-Op, one of the big reasons we got into farming is because we believe that the industrial and the global food system is extremely fragile and when something like the coronavirus happens, we can start to see the truth of that.

We take the health, safety, and wellbeing of our community and ourselves seriously and through this ever-evolving situation we are doing everything we can to both continue to feed you and stay healthy ourselves. Every week, from produce grown on our farm, we feed well over 200 local households. If we get sick, those people don’t get our produce.

We are taking more stringent health and safety precautions both on-farm and at the market (and everywhere in between) to make sure our product gets to you clean and safe. We will be trying out a new system at the markets this week. It will be a little slower, but it’s the best we can come up with at this point.

The current advice from the government is that farmers markets are exempt from the ‘no gatherings of over 500 people’ rule as outdoor food markets are a vital part of keeping communities fed and healthy. Our weekly market doesn’t have 500 people in attendance at any one time any way, but we’re still being careful.

We will continue to adapt our systems, as we need to. But for this week this is how the market will look at our stall:

·        We will have a ‘number’ system (Deli-style) to prevent people from having to cue.

·        We will call out your number and personally serve you so that only our sanitized hands touch your produce.

·        Please bring a basket, bag or box to carry your produce home in.

·        We are encouraging everyone to pay by card where possible as handling cash can be unhygienic.

·        We will be sanitizing our hands frequently throughout the market.

·        Please make sure you also wash all produce before you eat it.

If you aren’t able to make it to the market or farm pickups because you are self-isolating, please get in contact. We will deliver if needs be, though it is definitely not our preference.

If you are unwell or have been around anyone who is unwell, please don’t come to the market. Get in touch and we can work out an alternative so you can still get produce. We need to stay well so we can keep feeding the people! It can be easy to let fear and paranoia take over. We are doing our very best to take a measured, clear, and preventative approach to feed the community. Stay healthy and well, care for each other, and don’t forget to check on your neighbors and friends. In these times of increased ‘social isolation’ let’s all find ways to stay connected and strong. The Harcourt Organic Farming Co-op team (Sass, Mel, Tess, Ant, Katie, Hugh, and Merv)

What is the risk of getting COVID-19 infection through food?

There is no current evidence you become infected by eating the coronavirus. It’s a respiratory virus transmitted mainly via the nose and eyes, not a gastrointestinal virus. The acid in our stomach is expected to inactivate the virus.

 

Should we be washing uncooked foods like fruit and vegetables more than usual?

It’s not sensible nor practical to wash all the food you bring into your home especially at this point in time when we’re not seeing widespread environmental contamination, nor extensive community transmission of the coronavirus in Australia.

My advice is from both a practical and food safety perspective. In freshwater just prior to eating is enough. This aligns with advice from the US Food and Drug Administration. Please note – hand soap or dishwashing detergent are not designed for direct use on food.

However, at this time of heightened concern, the best advice is to wash your hands with soap – before and frequently – when preparing food and handling food packaging. Washing your hands and not touching your face will minimize the risk of getting an infection after touching surfaces or food packaging.

Remember, there is no evidence you get a respiratory coronavirus infection from eating it. Extra tips for cleaning fresh fruit and vegetables are available.

Should we are eating uncooked food, like fruit, vegetables, and salads?

Yes, please continue to eat fresh fruit, vegetables, and salads. There is no evidence to suggest you become infected from eating coronavirus. The best advice is to wash your hands with soap when preparing fruit and vegetables and to rinse fresh produce with water just before you eat it.

What temperatures do viruses like to live in? Should we be refrigerating foods that we wouldn’t normally?

Viruses don’t ‘live’ or grow outside of their host, they merely exist until they are able to infect their next host. So, there is no need to refrigerate food that you wouldn’t normally.

What is the risk of getting coronavirus from surfaces?

The coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 infection is a respiratory virus. It is typically transmitted via respiratory droplets. These come from coughing, sneezing, or close contact with other people. Infection may occur if the virus reaches our mucous membranes – eyes, nose, and airways. Also after we have touched a contaminated surface and then our face. This is why good personal hygiene is the best way to avoid infection.

Three important things to remember:

1. Wash your hands properly and frequently. Including washing your hands when you get home and before preparing food, which you should do anyway.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
3. Sneeze and cough into your elbow or a tissue and put used tissues straight in the bin.

How long does the virus survive on surfaces?

We don’t know this yet for the virus responsible for COVID-19, but we’re working to find out.

Coronaviruses can survive on surfaces for between hours and days. It depends on the type of surface, temperature, and humidity. Therefore, we need people to focus on personal hygiene measures. Washing your hands properly and frequently and not touching your face is key.

What about cleaning at home? What sanitizers should we be using?

Again, we don’t know this yet for the virus responsible for COVID-19, but we’re working to find out.

Cleaning should be done before sanitizing as dirt can render some sanitizers less effective. Sanitizing is different from cleaning – cleaning removes dirt, dust, and some microbes. Sanitizing is done to inactivate microorganisms.

Regular cleaning of surfaces at home is important. Cleaning with mild soap and water may be entirely adequate assuming there’s no reason to think your home is highly contaminated. The coronavirus is an ‘enveloped’ virus which makes it fairly weak when it comes to cleaning. Soap breaks down the virus envelope, making it inactive.

The following sanitizers have been shown to be most effective at inactivating coronaviruses:

·        Ethanol 62-71 percent for 30 seconds

·        0.5 percent hydrogen peroxide for one minute

·        0.1 percent sodium hypochlorite for one minute

Not all of these may be available or practical for use in the home environment. And importantly, more concentrated DOES NOT mean greater kill! Always follow the instructions for use on the container.

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