Food safety begins at the grocery store
There is quite a bit of information about the importance of storing our food (both in the refrigerator and cupboard) to ensure that it will stay safe for our families. Often times we forget the importance of keeping our food safe while grocery shopping.
If you are like me, I like to get in and out of the grocery store as quickly as possible. This often means that I speed up and down the aisles throwing items in the cart with one hand while selecting items with the other. I usually remember to put the bread and eggs on top, but after that I rarely plan where the rest of the items should be placed. For consumers, food safety must begin in the supermarket aisle. Whether you are doing a quick trip to pick up dinner ingredients … or tackling a week’s worth of grocery shopping all at once there are a few easy steps you can follow to ensure that the food you bring home will arrive there safely.
At the store it is important to remember to read labels carefully. Don’t buy food that is past the “Sell-by”, “Use-by” or other expiration dates. Make sure that the packaging is not torn or leaking. Frozen food should be frozen solid while refrigerated food needs to feel cold. Don’t buy fresh fruits or vegetables that are bruised or damaged. Another great tip is to bag your meat or poultry in plastic bags immediately. Lots of grocery stores have bags right in the meat section. This will guard against cross-contamination which can happen when raw meat or poultry juices drip on other food, spreading bacteria from one food to another. Separate foods in your grocery cart— again, to keep juices from cross contaminating into other foods.
When transporting groceries, there are some timing tips that will help you maintain the safety of your food. It’s always a good idea to go straight home from the grocery store. Don’t leave groceries in the car while doing other errands. The key is to always refrigerate perishable food within two hours. When the outside temperature reaches 90 degrees F, you should refrigerate your purchased perishables within one hour. If your grocery store is more than a half hour away from home, bring a cooler when you go shopping. Pack your meat, poultry, seafood and eggs in a cooler for the drive home.
When you get to your destination, don’t get caught up reading mail, unloading non-food items, talking with neighbors, or starting dinner. Unload and store your groceries right away to keep them safe, and refrigerate or freeze all perishables.
Other tips:
Inspect Food Packages
There should be no holes, tears or openings in food packages. Frozen foods should be solid with no signs of thawing. Refrigerated foods should feel cold.
Check safety seals. A loose lid on a jar means the vacuum has been lost and the product may be contaminated.
Don’t buy a food product whose seal seems tampered with or damaged. Report a defective cap to the store manager.
Avoid buying any cans that are deeply dented (one that you can lay your finger into), bulging, rusting or have a dent on either the top or side seam. Deeply dented or bulging cans may be a warning sign of botulism, while cans with a sharp dent may damage the seam and allow bacteria to
enter the can
Pick Your Produce
Choose loose produce rather than packaged so you have more control over what you select.
Don’t purchase produce with mold, major bruises or cuts. Purchase only the amount of produce you will use within a week.
Buy only pasteurized juices that have been kept refrigerated
Shop in Order
Gather non-perishable items first. Then, select refrigerated and frozen items. Stop at the deli counter last.
Place deli meats near the other cold items in your grocery cart.
Put fresh fruits and veggies on top of other foods in your cart.
Last week I got a very nice email from Sherylee who said she was excited to try the Pecan Granola recipe from a few weeks ago. She also mentioned that I forgot to share the temperature for the recipe. (350 degrees). I apologize for the omission. A few days later she updated me with the good news that her husband enjoyed the granola and shared that she substituted honey in place of Maple Syrup. Thanks for the feedback Sherylee!
ASIAN RICE BOWL
Makes 4 Servings
429 Calories per Serving
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 green onion, minced
2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy
sauce
1 Tbsp. each toasted sesame
seeds, sesame oil and honey 1 tsp. minced fresh gingerroot 1 pkg. (8.8 oz.) ready to serve
brown rice
4 cups coleslaw mix (about 9
oz.)
2 cups shredded rotisserie
chicken, chilled
2 cups frozen shelled edamame,
thawed
For dressing, whisk together first seven ingredients. Cook rice according to package directions. Divide among four bowls.
In a bowl, toss coleslaw mix and chicken with half of the dressing. Serve edamame and slaw mixture over rice; drizzle with remaining dressing.
Interested in taking free nutrition classes from EFNEP/OSU Extension? Contact Nancy Lyons at 937-224-9654 or lyons.489@ osu.edu