Today is World Food Safety Day. This year’s theme is ‘Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow’. This centers around producing and consuming safe and nutritious food for everyone. And each of us has a role to play because food safety is a shared responsibility; the government is responsible for monitoring and enforcing food safety standards; producers abide by these good standards to produce safe food at all time; and consumers learn what food is safe to consume and how to safely prepare it at home.
And since food safety for the consumers typically starts at the grocery store or supermarket, here are some food safety tips that you can practice all the time while at the grocery store.
Shop for perishable items last
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Having a grocery list is a good idea before heading to the store. Most people group the food items according to category. This prevents a return trip just for one single item. Another thing you can practice is shopping for perishable items such as meat, fruits, and vegetables last. Take special care for items that must be cold or frozen. This is especially true when shopping during the holidays. During times like these, check out lines are longer than usual. You do not want meat completely thawed by the time you get home.
Refrain from purchasing vacuum-packed food that is loosely packed
Vacuum-packing is a type of packaging where air or oxygen is drawn out of the package. This way, the package makes it unfavorable for the growth of microorganisms. Ideally, vacuum-packed food must have a quality seal—no wrinkles, not loosely packed, and the package has a uniform look. If you see one is loosely packed or baggy, do not take it. One of the reasons of loosening in vacuum-packed food is bacterial growth. More likely anaerobic bacteria (ones that do not require air to survive).
Stay away from cracked or dirty eggs
Cracked eggs are most likely to occur by accident. Unless, some vendors intentionally separated them, and are being sold at a lower price. If you happen to see trays of cracked eggs, do not buy them. Cracks, even the small ones, in the eggs are entry points for bacteria. If the cracks occurred on your way home, transfer the eggs into a clean container, cover tightly and store them in the refrigerator. The USDA advises to consume the eggs in 2 days.
Do not purchase dirty or soiled eggs either. Washing eggs only makes it more porous, this allows the bacteria to enter more easily.
Place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in a separate plastic bag
In general, raw meat, poultry, and seafood contain bacteria, including spoilage and pathogenic ones. Having said that, you should place them in a separate plastic, away from other items, especially ready-to-eat at checkout. This prevents their juices from dripping onto other items. Ask the cashier for an extra bag if necessary.
Do not purchase bulging and dented canned food
Compromised integrity of the container is usually an indication of spoilage in canned goods. When defects such are bulging and dents are observed, do not purchase the product, especially when found in the seams. Bulging indicates the presence of a leak in the can or bacterial contamination that creates by-product gases. Please note the some microorganisms that grow in canned goods do not produce gas. Hence, do not create an abnormal appearance in the can.
Poor processing practices such as overfilling and closing while cool may also be reasons for bulging and dents in cans. But still, these create entry points for microorganism. Whatever the reason may be, never purchase canned goods with abnormal appearance, even if being sold at a lower price.
Select fresh fruits and vegetables in good condition
Before selecting fruits and vegetables, make sure they are in good condition. Typical signs of fresh produce are bright, lively color and crisp-like texture. Also look for any spots, bruises or any damage. Although bruises do not really cause harm, it creates a soft and moist environment for mold and bacteria to grow.
Read the expiration date
Before putting items into the shopping cart, carefully read the information on the label, particularly the expiration date. Expiry date tells the last day a food item is safe to eat or drink. Although expiration date is not required by law, it is a labelling requirement in some products like infant formula and milk. Consumers often think ‘best before date’ and ‘expiry date’ as the same thing. Actually, there is a fine line between them. While the expiry date generally refers to food safety, the best best date refers to food quality. It tells the last day a food item is at its best in terms of freshness, nutrients, texture, aroma, and taste.
Another common term on the labels is the ‘sell by’ date. The sell by date simply tells the store how long can the food item be displayed. This lets the store know when to pull out the product. Again, the issue here is food quality, not safety of the grocery items. To ensure the freshest in stock, reach in the back of the shelf. You may want to check out the difference between expiry date and best before date.
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Check the condition of the anti-tampering device if applicable
Anti-tampering devices are installed to tell if the product has been opened or altered. This tells the consumer what is inside the packaging is the real thing, and that no modifications were made for the product since it left the manufacturer. Examples of anti-tampering devices are markings, seals, security tape, and tamper-evident band. Food product tampering can be a huge scare. For example is the case of sewing pins found inside strawberries in 2018, an incident that became country-wide in Australia. Another tampering scandal is the on purpose poisoning of baked goods that led to the dead of at least 33 people in Pakistan.
Here are some ways you can detect product tampering at the grocery:
- Visually inspect the entire packaging. Check for any missing seal or wrapper. Compare the specific item with another on the shelf.
- Refrain from buying products if the package is open, torn, or damaged.
- Check also the seal on the packaging. Tamper-evident currency bags contain a seal that indicates product tampering.
- For products in jars, see if the safety button (metal bubble) on the jar is down. This is pulled down by vacuum. If it has popped out, it may indicate that it had been opened.
- For bottles, check the tamper-evident band of the cap or lid. The bottle had been opened if the tamper-evident band is broken or damaged.
- For frozen products, if the product seems like it has been thawed and refrozen, do not purchase it.
Always follow what the manufacturer says: “Do not accept if seal is broken.”
Food safety is based on science. When these food safety tips are followed while at the grocery, you’ll bring home safe food every time.
