Grocery Safety Checklist

No longer can people take for granted that all of the items sold in the grocery store are safe. Reports of people tampering with products in the grocery store is front page news. Therefore, as a consumer it is up to you to practice grocery store safety when you shop for the protection of yourself and your family members.

Dented Cans

• Dented cans are sometimes sold at a discount in the grocery store and while this may seem like a good deal, be aware of the potential issues that may exist with a dented can. Most canned food is packed in aluminum cans. Inside of the can is a protective coating that keeps the food bacteria free. However, when a can becomes dented the protective coating or lining is also damaged, stopping the food from being protected. Consequently, dented cans may contain bacteria, including botulism, which is deadly.

Expiration Dates

• Many grocery store products are packed with expiration dates marked on the labels. The expiration date indicates the last date that the producer of the food product will guarantee that the product is safe to consume. Check the expiration dates on all food before your purchase it to ensure that it is safe. Some grocery stores, will, however, place products with quickly approaching expiration dates on sale. Yet, these products must be consumed quickly in order to ensure freshness.

Cleanliness

• While it would seem to be a common assumption that grocery stores need to be clean, many are not. If you are shopping at a grocery store for the first time look around at the store itself, not just the food. Signs that the store may not be safe for either you to shop in or purchase food at include mouse traps in corners, rat droppings, dusty package wrapping and cockroaches or ants anywhere in the store. The presence of rodents or insects in the store may mean that where there is one, there are many and these creatures may be crawling on your food before you take it home. Moreover, if you take these creatures home in the packaging of your food you may wind up with an insect or rodent problem in your house that previously did not exist.

Food Temperatures

• Grocery stores, just like any other business, have unplanned complications that impact them during all hours. Complications may include freezers that stop working, or meat and dairy coolers that simply shut down. While most grocery store employees will work quickly to correct these types of problems, as they work the food in the containers is impacted by the changing temperatures and, therefore, may not be safe. When shopping check the temperature of all of the food that you buy. For example, if the milk is supposed to be cold and it is warm, don't buy it.