Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which caused Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Recently, reports of misinformation going around among mobile electronic device users stating that certain food goods were tainted with HIV… but, is it possible for food to spread HIV/AIDS?
The World Health Organization (WHO) asserts that neither water nor food may spread HIV. HIV actually does not survive very long outside of the human body. Even if the food contained trace amounts of blood or sperm that had been exposed to HIV, the virus would be destroyed by exposure to air, heat from cooking, and stomach acid. WHO and the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believe that food is not a source of HIV infection based on the available scientific evidence.
Do you have concerns about food cooked or served by someone who is HIV+?
FROM WOMEN’S HEALTH
No. Most people have likely already been served by an HIV+ person, didn’t know it, and didn’t contract the virus. That’s because HIV is transferred only from fluids to fluids—blood to blood or through sēx.
But what if the chef cut herself?
The majority of people with HIV are on treatment and have an undetectable amount of the virus in their blood, making it unable to infect you. Still, if the chef cut herself, she would stop cooking, toss the food, dress her wound, and sanitize the area, as any chef would.
And if she didn’t notice that she had cut herself?
Even if a small amount of blood gets into the food without anyone noticing, the kitchen environment is inhospitable to the virus.
Inhospitable meaning what, exactly?
Kitchen exposure to air and heat while cooking would kill the virus.
And if the chef’s blood somehow got on cold food, like a salad?
Since the food is consumed by mouth, not an open cut, your stomach acid would kill the virus as it goes through your digestive system.
What if you, the customer, had a cut in your mouth?
Even so, it’s impossible for such a small amount of blood to make it inside there and infect you. It’s like trying to hit a bull’s-eye in outer space with an arrow—impossible.
Has anyone anywhere ever gotten HIV from food prepared by a person with HIV?
No. No one has ever contracted HIV via food prep. There is zero risk of HIV transmission.