FDA: Trucks used to store bodies during pandemic can return to food use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday said refrigerated trucks that preserved the bodies of coronavirus victims during the pandemic may be used for food transport after a thorough cleaning.

The FDA has released a handbook on converting the trailers back to their original purpose of hauling food.

New York City, which has been dubbed one of the major hotspots for the virus, used refrigerated trucks to store remains outside of hospitals, morgues and funeral homes as officials scrambled to keep up with the rising number of deaths.

Owners of those trucks have asked permission to allow them to use the vehicles for food transport. Hence, the FDA released recommendations on how to safely transition back to that use.

The FDA says the instructions provided in the document are going to be “implemented immediately.”

“Refrigerated food transport vehicles and refrigerated food storage units used for the temporary preservation of human remains during the covid-19 pandemic subsequently can be safely used for food transport and food storage under certain circumstances, according to the guidance.

The handbook stresses all surfaces must be “thoroughly cleaned and disinfected” with EPA-registered cleansers. It suggests to refraining from using air and water sprays and adds that workers need to wear protective gear while cleaning the trucks.

In the event “interior surfaces were in direct contact with blood or bodily fluids,” the FDA gives the green light, unless the contaminated area is made of material that cannot be properly disinfected — for example, unfinished wood or cracked fiberglass.

The guidance also instructs units “permeated by offensive odors that cannot be eliminated through cleaning and disinfecting” should no longer be used for food purposes.

One funeral home came under fire when officials there used rented trucks and ice to store bodies of the deceased.