Trolleys and baskets need to be sanitised as they carry germs
BULA vinaka shoppers, Everyone shops at the supermarket for food, toiletries, washing stuff and just about anything needed in the home. Some shop daily, weekly, fortnightly and others monthly.
So the volume of shopping is determined by their earning power and how they prefer to shop as well as how many people they shop for.
I’m sure that as a shopper we have all had the experience of dirty malfunction trolleys and baskets which can be annoying any day. Unless of course you are not that observant you would notice how dirty some of these trolleys and baskets are.
Have you tried maneuvering a faulty filled trolley in the supermarket aisles or picked up a basket only to change it because it was too dusty, greasy and contained rubbish left by the previous user? It can be quite a task and the heat or the limited number of cashiers serving on any given day when you are trying to control a wobbly trolley does not help.
The COVID period should have taught us many lessons and we need to start looking out for such things that can cause bigger problems if left unnoticed like the spread of germs and bacteria which you can easily take home with you after using unclean trolleys and baskets.
Remember how everyone was just about wiping down everything they touched especially if it was from the supermarket because we were so scared of contracting COVID and taking it home to our loved ones?
Well shoppers do not put your guard down. Talk to the supermarket supervisors if you feel unhappy about these things so something can be done about it. After all you are spending your money to grow their business and as consumers our rights must be looked after.
Rakesh feels the state of trolleys in supermarkets is pathetic.
“This is actually happening in prominent supermarkets and sometimes I really feel embarrassed when the trolley is full of goods and I am not able to push it as it goes out of control,” he said.
“Sometimes I ask my wife to help as some trolleys are too old or malfunction to push properly.
“It makes my shopping experience unpleasant when trolleys are dusty and have rubbish in it.
“Supermarkets should ensure trolleys and baskets are sanitised after use as part of good hygiene practices. This adds to our stress when we are spending so much more money on groceries and end up with problematic and filthy trolleys, that can easily cause the spread of germs to our families."
Jim says he is always cautious about dirty baskets and trolleys and takes a good look before using it.
“I mean I put my fruits in it and things like carrots and onions which we eat raw, as well as meat so I am always using clean ones,” he said.
“It is shocking to see major supermarkets not worrying about hygiene when it comes to food. Poorly serviced trolleys means we could easily bump into the shelves especially for clumsy people.
“Some of these baskets and trolleys are really dirty, so you can only imagine all the germs we are taking home with our shopping.”
A study showed supermarket trolleys have 361 times more bacteria than a toilet door knob, laboratory test reveals in the U.S.
Three-quarters of trolleys across a range of stores swabbed by scientists contained the most harmful types of bacteria, which included Escherichia coli and salmonella.
The Daily Mail reports the discovery was made after testing handle surfaces from four types of stores; traditional grocery stores, factory outlet stores, superstores, and upscale stores.
Factory outlet store trolleys contained 270 times more germs than a toilet handle. Those at larger superstores had three times the level of bacteria than a kitchen counter top.
Upmarket store trolleys contained the same bacteria as a computer keyboard and nearly 29 per cent contained bacillus, linked to food poisoning.
EMLab P&K carried out swab tests, which based values on an average of five trolleys from each store. Over 90 per cent of gram-negative bacteria found on nearly 75 per cent of all trolleys are considered harmful to humans and most types are resistant to antibiotics.
Some bacteria cause pneumonia, and sexually transmitted diseases, including gonorrhoea. 24 per cent of surface germs could cause skin infections and just under one per cent of trolleys could cause skin infections, and pneumonia as well as blood poisoning. So supermarket managements in Fiji please keep trolleys and baskets clean so shoppers do not take germs and bacteria home to their loved ones after bringing business to your outlets. It is important to practice good hygiene especially when shoppers are bringing money to your supermarkets.
Please sanitize trolleys and baskets daily and make sure they are maintained and serviced well.