How to protect yourself from bacteria at the grocery store

First of all, wipe down the handle of your shopping cart.

Go shopping while taking precautions

Everyone goes grocery shopping, and where there are people, there are microorganisms. While some are harmless, others can cause illness. Here are 10 steps you can take to minimize your risk of exposure to dangerous germs during your next grocery store visit.

Wipe down the handles of your shopping carts

Most bacteria are transmitted through human hands, and the first thing you touch is the handle of your shopping cart or basket. Before you touch it, wipe it with disinfectant wipes provided at the store entrance; if the supermarket doesn't offer these, bring your own.

Wash your bags between shopping trips.

If you use a reusable bag, it can harbor germs. Raw meat juices and bacteria can linger on the bag, and the contamination will only worsen after several uses. Machine wash your bags after shopping or wipe them down with soap and water between uses. You can also minimize the number of germs on your reusable bags by using different bags for different types of groceries; for this purpose, you can label the bags, for example, "raw meat," "fruits and vegetables," or "dairy."

Inspect fruits and vegetables before purchasing.

When choosing fresh fruits and vegetables, we often touch or squeeze them, but germs can enter through holes and cracks. Inspect fruits and vegetables for damage before purchasing. And place them in plastic bags to prevent them from coming into direct contact with the shopping cart.

Avoid items with damaged packaging.

Germs can enter packaged foods through damage to the packaging. Inspect cans and avoid leaking, damp, or bulging ones. Products in bags and boxes can also become more susceptible to germs if the packaging has scratches or holes. Always check the packaging to make sure it's intact before adding it to your shopping cart.

Opt out of free samples

If you want to avoid contact with bacteria at the supermarket, refuse free samples. Even if the person handing them out may be wearing gloves, they may have touched the food with their hands before (for example, to divide it into smaller portions), which allows germs to enter the food.

Separate ready-to-eat and raw foods

If you put all your groceries in one bag, germs from raw foods like meat or fish can contaminate ready-to-eat foods like fruits and vegetables. If you don't plan to cook ready-to-eat foods, you risk ingesting bacteria transferred from raw foods in your supermarket cart or basket. When shopping, separate raw meat, poultry, and fish from cooked foods like vegetables, bread, fruit, and other foods you don't plan to cook. You can place them in different parts of your cart and then bag them separately.

Be careful at self-service checkouts

All shoppers touch self-checkout screens and self-checkout scanners. This is another easy way to spread germs from one person to another. Carry a disinfectant wipe to wipe the screen or scanner before using it, or use hand sanitizer after paying.

Payment terminals are no better

To pay with your card, you'll need to touch the buttons that all previous customers have touched. You can wipe the buttons with an antibacterial wipe or use hand sanitizer after paying.

Carry hand sanitizer with you

Take a bottle of hand sanitizer or a pack of disinfectant wipes with you to the supermarket in case the store doesn't provide them. You can sanitize your hands after touching something that may contain bacteria or before getting into the car on the way home.

Read more: How to use hand sanitizer

Wash your hands when you return home

There's no better way to get rid of germs than hand washing. When you get home, the first thing you should do is wash your hands in warm water: lather them for at least 20 seconds, paying attention to the skin between your fingers and under your nails. Rinse off the soap, and dry them with a disposable paper towel or a clean towel. Remember, if you use a cloth towel to dry your hands, wash it regularly.

Read more: How to wash your hands properly

Votes: 1