Shop smartly by shopping safely
Smart shopping is not just about healthy food choices and getting value for money. It also includes food safety. The way we select foods based on physical qualities, the duration of travel when transporting grocery items down to proper storage matters a lot. After all, a “safe shopper” takes food safety seriously.
Ever experienced getting an upset stomach without knowing what caused it? Being a safe shopper will help prevent foodborne illnesses. Make sure you smartly pick foods that go into your shopping cart and all the way to your kitchen.
Before shopping
• Choose a clean shopping cart. Some shoppers tend to leave litter, spilled liquids, and dirt on used carts.
• Place two baskets inside your shopping cart to serve as a container for wet/frozen/refrigerated food items and for fresh produce (fruits and vegetables).
•Make sure you have enough reusable bags for the different food items you will purchase: Fresh, frozen, refrigerated, and dry. This will prevent cross contamination of micro organisms that could make you and your family sick.
Shopping time
• Shop for non-perishable items and dry goods first. Check packaging and never buy stuff with holes, tears, cuts, open lids, or open corners. Safety seals in bottles and jars should be intact.
• Check the expiry, best before, or sell by date especially for milk and dairy products.
• Check eggs for cracks and dirt. Egg trays or cartons should feel cold to touch.
• Never buy canned foods that are dented, damaged, rusted, or swollen. They may contain bacteria that cause botulism—a food borne illness that causes paralysis and is potentially fatal.
• When buying fresh produce, it’s better to choose the fruits and vegetables yourself rather than buying packaged ones to make sure they’re at their best quality. Check for bruises, cuts, or molds. If you plan to buy fresh produce from the market, buy them in the morning to ensure freshness.
• Buy refrigerated, frozen, and deli products toward the end of your shopping.
• Select fish and seafood that are intact, shiny, and firm. The odor should smell fresh and mild not strong and fishy. They should be stored in a chiller/refrigerated case or surrounded with ice.
• Select meats and poultry that look pink and not grayish. Packaged meats and poultry should be wrapped tightly and feel cold to touch.
• Opt to have meats, poultry, fish, and seafood packed into smaller serving sizes instead of in bulk. For example: If you buy 1 kg of meat, you can have it weighed and packed into four 250g serving sizes. It will be easier to store, thaw, and cook in the future.
• Check frozen food for ice crystals which is a sign that it has thawed then refrozen and was not stored in proper cold temperature.
After shopping
• In the check-out counter, take charge of how your purchases are packed. Don’t be passive.
• Pack meats, poultry, fish, and seafood in separate reusable bags or plastic bags. Frozen foods can be wrapped in paper bags to keep the temperature cold.
• Starchy vegetables should be packed separately from leafy ones to prevent bruising and wilting.
• Perishable foods should be brought home within 30 minutes from the time you check-out. If your travel time will take longer, bring along a cooler, ice box, or thermal bag with ice or artificial ice to keep your food cold on the way home.
• Never put cold foods in the trunk if you don’t have a cooler. Put them all in the backseat of your car.
• Immediately refrigerate and store perishable items as soon as you reach home.
Keep these simple and practical tips in mind next time you go to the market, grocery or supermarket. Shopping safely is shopping smartly!
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