Categories: News

FDA issues tips on how to clean trucks that stored dead bodies for reuse in food distribution

At the peak of the coronavirus outbreak in New York City, FEMA sent 85 refrigerated trucks to city hospitals to serve as temporary morgues. Now, with new cases and deaths on the decline, those trucks can return to their natural habitat: the food supply chain. Last week, FDA issued guidance for the trucking industry on how to repurpose refrigerated trucks for normal use after they’ve been used to store corpses. For one, they should be cleaned with EPA-registered disinfectants that are effective against Covid-19. (Homemade vinegar cleaner won’t do the trick.) And if the truck has porous surfaces like wood that have come into contact with blood and can’t be replaced, or if any “offensive odors” linger after cleaning, the truck should be retired. FDA’s guidance is just a suggestion. The New York Post has the story.

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