Be prepared: Christmas food could be COVID-19 minefield
Lay off the finger-food this season, and get up to date with our food hygiene expert’s advice
22 December 2020, 7:48am
by Laura Calleja
Don’t get taken in by the vaccine feel-good factor: there be the virus on them Christmas hors d’oeuvres.
Food handling expert Paulino Schembri says finger food, a staple serving of the Christmas get-together, carries a greater risk of contamination this year with the COVID-19 virus still around.
“With finger foods, people have a habit of touching the food, and or the tray. Keep in mind that people may also have a habit of touching their nose, face, eyes and so on. That’s where we have a problem with infection, not just now with COVID, but always. Contaminated fingers touch plates, and then the next person who comes to take from the plate will also take with them the infection.”