On the one hand maybe I’m being overly dramatic by stating that these 6 Supermarket Food Safety Tips CAN save your life; but on the other hand, maybe they can and maybe they will!!!  At the very least, they can help to keep those germs at bay!

1.  Hands down, you’ve got to keep your hands clean! In addition to washing your hands at home, before cooking, you might want to swipe them clean in the supermarket!  I’ve noticed that certain supermarkets offer hand wipes upon entering.  For your hands and for the handle on the supermarket cart!

2.  Canned goods first! Since canned and boxed goods have less contaminants on them than refrigerated, frozen or deli items, shop for them first.

3.  Plastic bag it! Put your raw meats, fish and poultry into separate plastic bags, keeping those pesky ‘drippings’ separate.  You wouldn’t want to cross-contaminate, would you?

4.  Dig deep!  Literally! Did you know that the foods at the back of the freezer cases are more likely to have been kept at the right temperature?  Brilliant, no?

5.  Due date?! And, I’ve noticed (as I’m sure you have as well) that older items are often pulled to the front of the case.  Be sure to check the expiration date and/or sell by date.

6.  Don’t melt! Seriously, folks.  Now that you’ve followed the first 5 steps so beautifully, it would be a shame if the foods melted in the car, causing air borne illness to multiply! So, either head home fast, or stock your car with cooling systems (coolers are cool).

PS:  Don’t forget to stock up on fruits and vegetables, and wash them before eating!

Spread the word … NOT the icing,

Janice

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