COVID-19 Food Safety & Security

The Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University 

Consumer Resources:

• Fight BAC! Partnership for Food Safety Education: The Core Four Practices
• The FoodKeeper contains food safety and storage advice to help consumers maintain freshness and quality of foods.

Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative

Register to receive delivery of prepared meals or bagged groceries.

• Hotline: 888-316-0879 (English and Spanish)
• Email: KingstonEmergencyFood@gmail.com
• Visit the Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative website. 

Project Resilience

For locations in Ulster County outside of Kingston, Project Resilience Phase 2 can provide bagged groceries to those who are eligible. Call the Ulster County COVID hotline (845) 443-8888 for more information. Visit the Project Resilience website. 

If you need help buying food, SNAP can help!

• You can apply for SNAP online at www.MyBenefits.ny.gov. If you live in Ulster County and would like information on applying for SNAP, please check the Ulster County DSS website for more information.
• Did you know that SNAP can currently be used for online grocery shopping at both ShopRite and Amazon? Amazon ships free with a minimum order. Learn more about Amazon's program by clicking here. 
• If you'd like to participate in our SNAP-Ed Program, visit our SNAP-Ed webpage to learn more about eligibility and for our contact information!

Running Essential Errands During COVID-19

(Grocery Shopping, Take-Out, Banking, Getting Gas, and Doctor Visits) 

As communities across the United States take steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 by limiting close contact, people are facing new challenges and questions about how to meet basic household needs, such as buying groceries and medicine and completing banking activities.

Food Delivery & Take-out: The new normal for households

Food delivery services are in high demand right now. Online grocery delivery sales alone have quadrupled within the past few weeks. Families are concerned about how COVID-19 affects the food they eat and the surfaces they touch. Some foods arrive hot, and some foods arrive cold. Know how to handle and store foods on the trip home and in reheating. Safe handling of take-out foods will protect families from food poisoning.

From the FDA:

1. The U.S. food supply remains safe for both people and animals.
2. There is no evidence of human or animal food or food packaging being associated with the transmission of COVID-19.

What does this mean for people now?

• Foodborne exposure to COVID-19 is not known to be a route of transmission. COVID-19 causes respiratory illness, and the greatest risk is being around people who are symptomatic.
• The FDA does not anticipate that food products will need to be recalled or withdrawn from the market for reasons related to the outbreak, even if a person who works in a human or animal food facility (e.g. a food packager) is confirmed to be positive for the COVID-19 virus.

How should people handle delivered food?

People should continue to consistently use the Core Four safe food handling practices of clean, separate, cook and chill to reduce risk from harmful germs.

Washing Fresh Produce

Have you heard it suggested to wash produce with detergent, soap — or even bleach? These products are not safe for consumption. In this video, the Partnership for Food Safety Education offers science-based advice for rinsing fresh fruits and vegetables.

Last updated February 15, 2024