Follow these simple tricks to stay healthy while shopping.
You can buy all the protein and products you want, but if you don’t transport it correctly in the supermarket, healthy food can make you sick .
Follow these smart and safe strategies to protect your food from the moment you choose them until the moment you put them in your refrigerator.
DOUBLE BAG FOR MEAT
The meat section in the supermarket may look sterile. But a Tennessee State University study says that about 50 percent of chicken packages contain bacteria (including coliforms that cause diarrhea and E.coli), outside.
Drop one of the packages in your car, and you can spread the bacteria in the other foods.
Before opening the freezer to take chicken breasts, put a plastic bag in your hand, pick up the packaging, and place it in another empty bag.
When you use a bag, the risk of contaminating yourself is reduced to zero, says Dr. Sandria Godwin, author of the study.
CLEAN AND WAIT
Researchers at the University of Arizona found that 72 percent of supermarket carts contain bacteria that cause diseases such as E.coli.
The bacteria come from other customers who may have already brought the germs in their hands, or acquired them after touching contaminated food products .
Before taking a cart from the supermarket, grab an antibacterial wipe . Clean the handle and wait 20 seconds for it to dry completely with dry air.
This will eliminate as many bacteria as possible, says Godwin. ? Touching the handle when it is still wet can spread the bacteria around or transfer them to your hands ,? he says.
CHOOSE THIS PRODUCT
Take the vegetables located in front of the shelf. Spinach in the front is more exposed to fluorescent light than in the back, reports a study by the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry .
Research showed that spinach exposed to artificial light stays cooler and produces up to 100 percent higher levels of nutrients including vitamin A, C, E, and folic acid.
CLEAN THE REUSABLE BAGS
By using reusable bags, you help the environment. Now do your stomach a favor by washing them.
The bacteria that could not have asked for rides in meat, fruit or vegetables can be transferred to your bag and survive for more than 4 months Godwin said.
Half of the reusable bags contain nasty bacteria that can cause diarrhea or vomiting, say researchers at the University of Arizona. But 97 percent of people never clean their bags.
Wash your bags with hot water and chlorine enters each trip to the store.
AVOID COLD MEATS
Researchers at Pardue University found that 1 of the 10 samples taken from food prepared and exposed to surfaces, such as those from machines used to cut meat and cheese, contained the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes .
Listeria infections can cause symptoms such as influenza, headache, neck pain, fever and meningitis. Listeria can also cause miscarriages, fetal loss, and premature births in pregnant women.
Among the open packages, knives, workers handling the meat, and the fact that they don’t always clean the machines every time they use them, there are so many opportunities for the prepared food counter to spread bacteria ? Godwin says.
Instead, opt for vacuum-sealed meat or cheese from the dairy area that has been pre-packaged in factories, which are less likely to become contaminated.