Properly disinfecting fruits and vegetables from COVID-19

Question

In this YouTube video part PSA Grocery Shopping Tips in COVID-19 (See Important Notes Below) Dr. mentions how to disinfect food, particularly fruit.

Would be enough to put all fruits and vegetables on soapy water and left them there for 20 seconds and after that rinse them up and putting friction on them to remove all the soap and virus/bacteria?

that is, don't putting friction on them, for 20 seconds, while they are on the soapy water.

After all, meanwhile I'm rising one by one with water, the other fruits and vegetables would be still on soapy water which means that they would be more than 20 seconds there.

Are there other alternatives to properly wash fruits and vegetables?

Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

In this pandemic it is important to take precautions at each and every step. Fruits and vegetables should be properly cleaned. We don't know of fruit/vegetables vendors, who might be infected with COVID-19. Eventhough there is no as such a scientific proof that corona virus can spread through food

But what's wrong in taking precautions and cleaning them properly? Now according to an article fruits and vegetables may be washed in chlorine, however chlorine changes their tastes.

As you mentioned washing them in running water for 20 seconds extra, is a recommend method by the WHO. However there are news to wash them in baking soda, potassium permanganate, etc but none of the methods have been scientifically proven. Newspaper

Also there are ultrasonic cleaners and vegetable washer, however they can be used for your peace of mind but in actual there is no need. Washing them in running water is enough

Also rinsing them with soap is not a good idea, as there’s the danger of ingesting soap, which can cause gastrointestinal distress leading to vomiting and diarrhoea when consumed in large quantities

I hope I have answered your question :)