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  Buying Groceries, The Safe Way

In todays society, we try to chose carefully what we are serving on the dinner table. But were you counting on the uninvited guests?

Bacteria and other pathogens can lurk in food, even if the ‘fresh’ ingredients were purchased from the grocery store a mere hour ago and cooked to perfection.

“Once something is contaminated, bacteria can grow very quickly,” said Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist with Consumers Union, a publisher of Consumer Reports. And chances are fairly high that most of us carry home some kind of ‘surprise’ in our grocery bag.

Last year alone, there were 76 million cases of reported food poisoning in the United States reported the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Over 5,000 of those resulted in fatalities.

This year, the reports are rampant. Jeff Nelken, a food safety expert from California said “We do know that food poisoning is a big problem in this country.”

Additionally, many cases go unreported.

Symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhea, cramping and fever that last from one day up to a week. The condition may become more serious for anyone with a compromised immune system.

Fortunately, there are several easy ways to lower the risk of becoming a victim to food borne illness while shopping at the grocery store.

Rangan advises these tips.

1. Beware of Temperature

• Grocery shopping should be the last errand on the list to make sure bacteria does not thrive in transit. For some foods, a temperature above 40 degrees can promote spoilage.
• Select the most perishable items (meat and dairy) after you have shopped for your non-perishables.
• Avoid meat, produce and dairy items that have been stacked too high in the refrigerators to remain cold.

2. Keep Track of Recalls.

• So far in 2007, the headlines read: E-coli found in burgers. Salmonella in peanut butter. Botulism in green beans. Stay in touch with the news and dispose of any possibly-contaminated brands.

3. Avoid Cross Contamination.

• Always bag your produce, and double-bag your meat. If there are no bags in the meat department, pick up some extras from produce.
• Do not place food in the shopping cart’s child seat. Chances are a toddler with a dirty diaper has sat there recently.
• Always wash fresh fruits and vegetables as soon as you get home.

4. Examine Purchases.

• Bruising does not necessarily indicate pathogens, according to Michelle Smith, a scientist with the FDA’s food safety office. However, stay away from produce, such as cucumbers, apples and peaches in which the skin is punctured.
• Beware of pests in the store. They indicate uncleanliness. “Flies, for example may carry bacteria, and roaches carry up to 25 to 30 different diseases,” said food expert Nelken. Bugs should be treated as a red flag to shop at another store.

While no one can completely eradicate their chance of food poisoning, we can all reduce the likelihood of getting sick, Nelken said. And the first step is at the grocery store.

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