Many of us have seen it, that Doctor who is giving you detailed instructions on how to clean up your groceries after you get them home. He’s stressed out and so are you by the end of it! And the video has TWENTY MILLION views. : – O
That is a lot of stressed out people. As if we’re all not stressed enough already.
Thoughts from dietitians
My oncology dietitian friend posted the video on her feed and asked for dietitian feedback. I love dietitian crowd sourcing because when it comes to food we are a very scientific and also very pragmatic group. That’s what we’re trained for!
Not just to understand the science of food and nutrition and how it nourishes our body, but equally as important is that our training makes us experts at translating that information into giving advice on practical everyday choices you can make for yourself and your family.
Us dietitians prefer not to freak out about food related things. We will educate you on the facts and help you make a reasonable choice.
Here were the responses from oncology dietitians that I know from all over the country!
- “I can’t find anything on the CDC or FDA websites that endorses the type of cleaning this well-intentioned doctor is suggesting. They might be good steps to take if someone is caring for someone at home who is infected and trying to minimize spread in the home, but I’m afraid this is a lot of work/fear, for limited benefit over and above handwashing and other recommended precautions.”
- “People carry covid. I think this is overblown. Makes people worry about things that aren’t necessary. ”
- “This is so unnecessary. Breeds anxiety and paranoia.”
- “This video (the guy) echos the potential spreading of information/misinformation in the nutrition world.”
- “When someone sounds glib and intelligent and shares “some truthful/accurate information” smart, intelligent people will believe it”
- “Wiping everything down with the same paper towel doesn’t seem to fit his point”
- “He also said the outside of the fruit is porous like skin, so without saying it, he’s saying the soap will makes it’s way to the inside.”
Other things that were pointed out about the video:
- VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER! Coronavirus is NOT a foodborne illness. There is currently is no evidence of someone transmitting coronavirus via food packaging or food itself.
- One person noted that the doctor is internal medicine doc, not an infectious disease expert
- It is NOT RECOMMENDED to wash produce with soap. Read my post about that here!
What Do We Know About Grocery Shopping During This Pandemic:
Basically, the likelihood of transmitting the disease from food or packaging is low.
You do want to use common sense measures like not touching your face while shopping, using sanitizer after leaving the store and/or washing your hands as soon as you get home, rinsing your produce before you eat it, and cooking foods to proper temperatures!
What does Julie do? I have actually been avoiding the store as much as possible. Why? Because delivery is amazing, that’s why! And I don’t stress that my delivery person is contaminated. I put the food in my pantry and fridge and use my same food safety techniques as usual.
Also, when I needed bananas, I did go to the store for myself. I kept my distance, didn’t even use a cart or a bag and used a real checkout person because the self checkout was long and I was in a hurry!
No, I did not wipe my bananas down with wipes. I washed my hands before I ate. And I enjoyed every bite. YUM!
Check out the following science based resources:
- NC State (My Alma Mater, GO WOLFPACK!) has a great page on food safety and COVID-19. Here’s a handy graphic they made regarding grocery food!
- Serious Eats has a GREAT page with information regarding food safety and COVID-19.
- Also, check out this article from the Washington Post, which does a good job of summarizing the issue. I really like how they walk you through the worst case scenario, which is so unlikely and even if it happened, you would not likely contract disease. We can all calm down about it!
Washington Post Article: Don’t panic about shopping, getting delivery or accepting packages
Bottom Line from the article:
We can never eliminate all risk; the goal is to minimize it — because we all will occasionally need to go grocery shopping and receive supplies in the mail.
Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/26/dont-panic-about-shopping-getting-delivery-or-accepting-packages/
But if you take basic precautions, including washing your hands frequently, the danger from accepting a package from a delivery driver or from takeout from a local restaurant or from buying groceries is de minimis. That’s a scientific way of saying, “The risks are small, and manageable.”
I hope this is helpful to ease your concerns about grocery shopping. We all need to find things to do these days that bring joy, and cooking can be one of those!
Stay Calm. Stay Home. Enjoy Good Food!
– Julie
Thank you for these calm, sensible words of advice. I only watched the video up to the point where he was wiping off a medicine bottle with a paper towel he had soaked in a solution. I thought “how many times will he use that same towel?” Then I decided I was not that paranoid.
I’m a 66-year-old RDN and being this meticulous did not make sense to me.
Yes!! There are so many things that just don’t seem to add up, from a practical standpoint. It’s so hard for us to realize we are not in complete control of everything. There is an element of practicality that many have apparently thrown out the window! I’m glad you have the common sense radar. I think it’s our RDN super power!! 🙂
Thank you. My sister wanted to show me that video that my niece and sent her and I was amazed at how rapidly that video caught fire on the Internet. Thank you for those words that uplift me as a dietitian and make me feel confident in the advice that I am able to give to balance things out in this precarious time
It’s amazing how fast it has gone. Obv not everyone appreciates my common sense and evidence based approach to it. So it’s nice to have other dietitians feeling the same way. And of course, to have the evidence based resources to back up our expert opinions! I’ve only had a few people angry at me so far, haha! 🙂
Once again your sensible approach calms my fears, Julie! Thank you!
I am on the planning committee for Victory in the Valley’s Women’s Weekend in Wichita, Kansas. I can’t wait to see and hear from you again!
Stay safe and keep spreading the good and sensible word that helps us cancer patients!
Love,
Ruth Ann Martin (the loud one in the front row with the big smile!)
YAH! Hi there!! I hope you are doing ok over there in Kansas. We are staying hunkered down hoping people will settle into a new normal for the next month or few months or who knows how long. We need to eat delicious and nutritious foods and the idea that we would have to do all that just to keep them safe is not currently thought to be necessary. I will let you know if something changes though!!! 😀
Julie, WXii needs to interview you. Professionals and common sense individuals should realize that the video was an “over reaction”.
That is a good idea! 20 million is a lot of people to have seen the video. I’m a small fish here haha. 🙂
Thank you for your thoughtful response to “that video’.. I am using both your response and a variety of sites to demonstrate the many unsubstantiated opinions facing the public regarding the transmission risk of Covid-19. Desperate times with desperate solutions.
Sounds like you are a great job gathering information that you trust and figuring out what works for you. Congrats! It is certainly a time where the clear answers aren’t there and we’re all trying to figure out what to do. 🙂