COVID‐19 contamination through food: A study with Brazilian consumers of different socioeconomic and demographic characteristics

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate through free word association the perception of Brazilian consumers regarding the possibility of infection with the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus through food. One thousand individuals answered the questionnaire via an online platform. Most cited terms (hygiene—8%, fear—8%, caution—5%) and categories (negative attitudes and feeling—72% and sanitization—60%) were related to overall COVID‐19 infection rather than their specific infection through the food. The perception of the possibility of risk of this type of cross‐contamination was greater for male participants, within the food field, with high income (>10 minimum wages), and from the midwest region. Nonetheless, there are still doubts regarding this possibility, especially for participants with low income (≤10 minimum wages), females, higher education (≥secondary school), who exercise professional activity outside the food sector and from most regions of Brazil. Practical applications Although the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus was discovered 2 years ago, the emergence of new variants such as Omicron has increased infection and mortality rates worldwide. A possible way of COVID‐19 infection is cross‐contamination through food handling and contact surfaces if preventive measures are not applied. In this context, understanding the consumer perception from a continental‐size country such as Brazil, with a wide variety of socioeconomic profiles, is crucial to minimize the severe impacts of the pandemic. Our study demonstrates the need to disseminate scientific information in different media to reduce misinformation, especially social media because most Brazilian consumers had doubts and uncertainties about the possibility of COVID‐19 infection from cross‐contamination through food.

Access to Information, and Concerns, Myths and Truths about Food Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Overview of the Portuguese Population

“…The adoption of these "new" habits and behaviors may have been directly influenced by the measures disseminated by the media and social networks and supported by medical authorities, especially those related to hand washing, the use of hand sanitizer (e.g., washing and disinfecting hands before and after handling purchases) and disinfection of surfaces and the packaging of purchased products (e.g., cleaning and disinfecting packaging with soap and water, using a damp cloth and bleach diluted in water and/or 70% alcohol to destroy the outer membrane of the virus and prevent infection) [89,[97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104]. These changes may also have been supported by the fact that SARS-CoV-2 was found in frozen foods and on their packaging [14][15][16][17][18]105], which may have been reflected in an increase in the consumption of home-produced foods to reduce handling, and thus the risk of contamination [54,55,[58][59][60][61][62][63][64].…”

“…Several studies in some countries in Asia, Europe and the Americas have shown a change in behavior of the population regarding what to eat, what to avoid and how to prepare food, as well as an increase in concerns and doubts regarding COVID-19 and food safety [51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64].…”

“…Several studies in different countries have reported the intensification of hygiene practices during shopping and during handling of products, as well as in the home, to avoid contamination with coronaviruses, e.g., disinfection of surfaces such as shopping trolleys or baskets before use, careful removal of food packaging, wiping/disinfection of food packaging, and washing and disinfection of fruits and vegetables [59][60][61]. Handwashing and disinfection, including before and after handling food and food packaging, was probably one of the most widely practiced measures used by the general public during the pandemic [57,[60][61][62][63]. While the primary motivation was to protect against SARS-CoV-2 [61], these practices still played a critical role in minimizing the risk of transmission of foodborne pathogens.…”

Essential oils block cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2 delta variant

“…Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous measures to control this virus's spreading have been taken worldwide 1 . Although several countries are vaccinating their population, the pandemic is not over yet 2 , and the treatment of COVID-19 is still a real challenge 3 – 5 , mainly due to the new emerging variants.…”