The document discusses strategies for ensuring food security during the COVID-19 pandemic. It recommends buying groceries in bulk to reduce trips to stores and stretch budgets. Specific items recommended for bulk purchasing include canned foods, pet food, baby products, cleaning supplies, baking goods, personal hygiene products, and snacks. Buying in bulk allows stocking a fully-supplied pantry without worrying about expiry dates or running out of essentials. The document emphasizes the importance of following safety guidelines like hand washing, sanitizing surfaces, and wearing a mask to protect health and support farmers, shop workers, and delivery drivers during this crisis.

1. Food Security during Covid-19 and Why Buying in
Bulk is Smart Idea
United Nations projected that due to covid-19 people are facing severe foods
insecurity throughoutthe world. FAO recently warned that on the natural foods
market the lockdown of covid-19 had a devastating effect. The spread of covid-19
is now something with which we need to learn how to live. Experts also say that
this pandemic will also unleash food security crisis never seen since the great
recession.
Slowly covid-19 has been creeping in communities. For many people, food has
never seemed important both in the manner of nutrition or comfort but now if
the economic disruption continues we can face a pandemic-related food crisis.
Are we facing a food crisis globally?
At the begging of 2020 around the world, only 135 million people were facing
extreme food crises but now according to WFP, this figure could now riseup to
265 million by the end of 2020. Many parts of the world are concurrently
struggling with many food insecurity threats like recurrentdroughts, protracted
conflicts, and the worstof them locust infestation in decades.
In ways for example the US agriculturalsystemis facing severe labor challenges.
Farmers all over are been forced to destroy harvests amid a severe downfallin
demand stemming fromrestaurants, organic foodstores, bakeries, schools, and
other natural foods market places.
Foods safety and nutrition during covid-19:
As we are going through these unprecedented times all are worried about how to
shop, order, and prepare food safely from health food shops to minimize the
transmission of this disease.

2. Although we don’thave evidence for specific dietary factors to avoid the risk of
this diseasewe know that we should eat organic food which is healthful.
The US food and drug administration has already issued information about
precautions the restaurants and hotels should follow during grocery delivery etc
to protect workers and consumers as well.
Groceries shopping:
The first important fact is that you should minimize your trips to stores and also
avoid visitat peak hours butin case of emergency only go for buying home
essentials.
When you visit a food store near always wear a face-covering mask and try to
maintain a safedistance fromthe people around like if you are standing in a
checkout line maximum of 6 feet distanceis a better goal but the further it is the
better it gets.
Till now there is no published evidence that you can get the disease from
touching the foods or their packing but the available evidence is that the virus can
survive upto three days on hard surfaces like metal or any kind of plastic etc and
1 day on softsurfaces like cardboard typethings etc. The FDA advised for safely
dealing with food i.e. ‘’ Clean, Cook, Separate, andChill’’.
Another risk of the contracting viruses is fromtouching shopping baskets or carts
as it is noted that coronavirus can remain on a hard surfaces like plastics, metals,
etc. These surfaces which you may touch regularly can be elevators buttons, door
handles, shopping carts or baskets, car door handles, shelves, etc. so use provided
wipes to wipe down the surfaces of the cartor baskets you touch and then
discard the wipe immediately, please. Also be carefulthat you don’t touch your
face in public places.
Some of the grocery delivery shops may run out of sanitizers so be prepared
before bring a sanitizer or a pair of disposablegloves with you as a backup safety
option. Put them on before touching a shopping cartor something else.

3. Hand washing is a critical step in reducing the risk of coronavirus and should be
done often. Wash your both hands thoroughly with clean water and soap for
minimum of 20 seconds almost. Note that covid-19 is an ‘’envelopedvirus’’ which
means that it is covered in an oily membrane and fortunately simple soaps are
usefulat disrupting the oil on any surface, and water is effective in removing
away the virus fromthe surfaces.
Meal cooking and eating:
As mentioned that hand washing is an important step in reducing the risk of
viruses so especially beforeeating or making foods wash your hands thoroughly
with water and soap.
Wash vegetables and fruits in boiling water for a minute then place immediately
under cold water for deactivating enzymes which can causespoilage.
Grocery delivery or take-out meals:
As restaurants arenow opened for dining the risk of virus transmission is also
increased and the safeoption which can also supportlocal business is to order
take-out or you can also do grocery delivery.
As we know covid-19 is not transmitted by the food itself and any risk can come
fromthe worker which is delivering food so food services should follow the
guidelines of local health departments.
You can pre-pay for your delivery with your credit card over the phoneso that
food can be left at your doorsteps withoutcoming in contact with someone. On
receiving the meal move it to a plate and discard the packing and wash hands
with soap and water.
Stocking pantry and buying in bulk:
Pantry loading for items like beans, powdered milk, and canned meat, etc is on
rising during covid-19. Itis observed that people are buying food in bulk
quantities as you don’t need to visit the stores again and again for your needs.

4. Coronavirus is leading to smaller paychecks as retail because industry employees
have temporarily closed down their doors but eating healthy is still important for
all of us despite the budget are tighter now. Buying in bulk will help you to
stretch your money at grocery stores. Someof the ways thatmight help you are:
Make up your menu: before going out make a list of the weekly menu plan you
have and shop according to it.
Go big: it means to buy in bulk whereyou need few chicken pieces to buy a whole
chicken freezethe portion you don’t need at any time.
Try to hold the steak: as meat can be relatively expensive so you can go for plant-
based sources for protein.
Check the fine print: compareprices for units also listed on price tags to find a
less expensive brand.
Necessary things to stock:
Canned food:
When it comes to canned foods like tuna fishes, beans, tomatoes, soups, etc
buying in bulk is a smartmove as these things have a long shelf life.
Pet food:
Just like human beings animals also need high-quality nutrition for their good
health and development. But pet food is also expensive as compared to human
food and the only solution you can do is to buy in bulk so that you also don’t need
to sacrifice quality too. Many pet food shops givediscounts on buying more.
Baby product:
If you are having a baby it can be moreexpensive in these situations. When it
comes to essential things like wipes, diapers, etc it is much beneficial to buy in
bulk when stores often put discounts.
Cleaning supplies:

5. Buying cleaning supplies in bulk is your ticket to a low cost. There are many items
which are used on a daily basis you often find yourself in a sticky mess to shop
again and again on this covid-19 situation which is a bit risky too so buying in bulk
is good.
Baking goods:
If you like baking and enjoy it then stocking up on flour and sugar like things can
be a great way to lower your cost too without even worrying aboutexpiry dates
since these items have a long shelf life. Buying baking goods items in bulk also
ensures that when you urgeto make up your favoritetreat on a good whether
you have everything which is essential.
Personal hygiene:
When it comes to personalhygiene things like soaps, shampoo, conditioners, etc
buying in bulk gives a benefit that it ensures your bathroomis fully stocked and
you can even stretch back your savings.
Snacks:
As in this pandemic situation, you may never know at whattime you can get
locked up in the house. Fromother essential meal items you have planned, you or
your children could get hungry and wish to justget a smallsnack for your tummy
at that time if you had stocked some snacks it will be quite beneficial for you.
Final thought:
In this pandemic situation how and whatwe eat affects our health. We
completely depend upon farmers to continue working in fields, shop keepers to
show up on their jobs, and on drivers too for delivery foods fromthe marketto
our doorsteps. So not only ours but the health of others is necessary too. By
following all the guidelines above wecan ensurethe safety of our society.
Keeping a sanitizer, wearing a mask, and taking care not to touch your face when
while traveling these small things can saveus froma lot more big problems.