Food safety in your supermarket

Heather Little-White, PhD, Contributor

As food moves along the distribution chain - from farm to table, the supermarket is one of the places where shoppers get their pick to meet their nutritional needs. Shoppers should know that while food safety should be regulated along the food-supply chain, they still have the responsibility of selecting foods carefully, and keeping them safe until eaten.

How much do you know about food safety in shopping at your local supermarket? According to the Food Marketing Institute, consumers should check how savvy they are with supermarket food safety.

• Do you always read the ingredient list on the packaging?
• Do you look for dates on packages to ensure freshness?
• Do you check packaging and cans to ensure they are clean and free from damage?
• Do you check the amount of soil on produce?
• Is your shop or supermarket clean and free from unpleasant odours?
• Are all the cooling units and refrigerators in good working order and free from odour?
• Do you ensure that frozen foods are solid and refrigerated foods are cold?
• Do you purchase cold foods as your last items in the store?
• Do you ensure that foods that need to be refrigerated are packed in separate bags to help maintain a cooler temperature?
• Do you have packers pack fresh meat, poultry and fish in separate bags so they do not drip on other foods in your cart?
• Pay attention to 'sell by' and 'use by' dates? Perishable foods should have these dates. You should not buy these products if the 'sell by' date has passed. If the 'use by' date has passed, you should not use the product at home. Buy those products that will be fresh when you are ready to use them.

Check safety seals and buttons

Seals on milk, yoghurt and jars are often vacuum-packed for safety. Check safety seals with your finger. If the indented safety button is up, do not buy or use the food.

Reject swollen, dented or damaged cans. These conditions are warning signs caused by the bacteria that cause botulism, which, if left untreated, can be fatal. Beware of cans or jars that spurt when they are open and clear liquids turned milky. Never attempt to even taste these foods.

Check packages

Frozen foods should be frozen and show no sign of thawing. Refrigerated foods should feel cold and packages should not show any signs of breakage, tears, holes or bursting seams.

Perishable foods

These foods should be purchased just before checking out, and let the packers pack all cold foods together so they can stay chilled longer as you journey home.

• Take groceries home immediately;
• Run errands before going to the supermarket so, when you shop, you can take groceries home immediately and store them properly. If you have to be travelling for more than 30 minutes, pack cold foods in a cooler to keep them cool until you get home. The danger zone for perishable foods is between 40 to 140F, where rapid growth of bacteria will take place, with some producing dangerous toxins. A single bacterium can multiply to trillions of bacteria in 24 hours.

Bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemicals can cause food-borne illnesses because of improper handling along the food chain. It is important to ensure proper food handling and sanitation practices with foods you buy, to prevent getting sick.