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dtl_supermarket_tips.sPubDate = "3/26/2007 2:14:19 AM GMT";
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dtl_supermarket_tips.appHeader = "fact file|Avoiding 'gross-ceries'";
dtl_supermarket_tips.appDeck = "Aside from the big yellow 'sale' tags, there is actually so much more to check out before hitting the supermarket check out counter. Below are some tips on smart shopping from food safety expert Jeffrey Nelken.";
dtl_supermarket_tips.appFooter = "Source: Dateline NBC, Jeffrey Nelken, food safety expert";
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dtl_supermarket_tips[i-1].body = "Americans spend nearly half a trillion dollars a year in the supermarket. In fact, most of us make a trip to the grocery store twice a week. But if there is one thing we've learned in Dateline's year-long \"Supermarket Sweep,\" it's that you can't assume your grocery is as clean as it should be.
The first clue to a store's product quality can be found in looking at the establishment's organization and cleanliness. A business that cares about how the products are stacked and organized, is probably as meticulous about other things as well.";
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dtl_supermarket_tips[i-1].body = "
Shoo, fly. Look to see if there are fruit flies around. Their presence will tell you if there is any spoilage or overmature fruit.
Avoid buying fruit with any bruises or fuzzy navels. Anytime you see a bruise or a brown spot on fruit, be wary. Bruises are the pathway for bacteria to shoot through.
The harder, the better. While most people like to buy fruits that are a bit ripened, buy the more solid products and let them ripen at home. If something is decomposing and gets squishy, it is more likely to have bacteria. ";
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dtl_supermarket_tips[i-1].body = "
Frozen solid. Make sure that frozen food is frozen solid. Be concerned about any soft spots, because this means the refrigerator the food was stored in wasn’t functioning properly.
Package integrity. Check that the product you’re buying is nicely sealed without any breaks. Avoid signs of any oozing or gushing.
Temperature check. Look at the refrigerator the food is stored in. Do you feel cold air hitting your hands? The freezing unit should have a thermometer visible. Products maintained should be at 41 degrees or below. If it’s above 41 degrees, over time, bacteria will reproduce.
Open egg cartons. Check that eggs are not dripping or broken. Many eggs cartons now have labels that include safe-handling instructions which tell people to keep eggs refrigerated and to cook yokes until they are firm. These labels are a requirement in some states, depending on regulations. Once an egg is cracked, bacteria can get into it.
Look at the expiration dates. There should be “sell by” or “use by” dates in front of products. If it’s close to those dates, and you’re not using the product until a week later, then don’t buy them. The dates mean that some of the vitamins that are in the product have a certain shelf-life.
Buy from the back. Don’t grab the product closest to you. Remember that stores are always pushing to sell the oldest product, and that they’re usually in front of shelves. The fresh product is often in the back. ";
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dtl_supermarket_tips[i-1].body = "
Make it your last stop. The deli/fish/meat section should be the last stop. Most people will come to the meat section first. Shoppers should really pick up the dry goods first, and then head to the produce and meat section on their way out so that the food doesn't warm up.
Shop close to home. By the same token, you should really shop somewhere that’s at the most 15 minutes to half an hour away from home. Don’t buy your meat and drive them all over town while you run other errands. If you’re going to be out a little bit longer, get a refrigerated case and throw that in the trunk for those refrigerated items.
Smell test. Any off odors you smell near the deli area would be an indication of the products' lack of freshness. You also don’t want to smell the “sour mop smell,” like they just moped up the place.
Bright red meat. Meat has to be bright red, and the paper underneath it has to be clean as well. It has to be a bit bloody, and shouldn’t be discolored or oxidized.
Avoid pre-marinated products. In some supermarkets, when poultry or meat reaches a certain point and starts to get brown, they marinate it in soy sauce, add a little ginger, and it becomes “gourmet.” This disguises this a bit. It really is better to buy fresh meat and marinate it yourself.
Seafood on ice. Everything in the seafood area should be on ice. Fish tends to spoil a little bit easier, so we want them to be kept as cold as possible. Also, cloudiness in the eyes of the fish indicates that deterioration has begun.
Avoid cross-contamination. There also has to be separation columns between fish and beef. You don’t want blood or juices from raw product hitting cooked ones, like shrimp, lox, or crab meat. Always make sure your raw meat products are double wrapped. Seals are not always totally tight. Cross-contamination should be avoided because different foods have different cook times. For example, chicken has to be cooked to at least 165 degrees to kill salmonella, where beef usually gets cooked at about 140 degrees. Also be mindful of this as you put your items in your shopping baskets and shopping bags.
Check out the food handlers. The food handlers provide some clue to the cleanliness and quality of the store. Look at their uniforms or aprons -– are they nice and clean? It would be also appropriate for them to wear a hat or a hairnet. Also, look at the slicing machine and counters or work surfaces. Be careful that the same knife doesn’t cut beef, and then work on fish.
Clean gloves. Gloves, per se, do not guarantee that food is not contaminated and can provide can be a false sense of security. They have to be clean as well. Food safety expert Jeffrey Nelkin has seen violations of food handlers wearing gloves but then touching hair, picking up garbage and/or scratching themselves. ";
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dtl_supermarket_tips[i-1].body = "Visual check. Make sure the can is in good shape, and that the label is nice and clean. Check that there are no water or grease stains, or any indentations. Integrity is lost on products like that.
Avoid puffy cans. Stay away from a can that has any kind of puffiness to it, because that increases the likelihood of botulism. Customers shouldn’t buy discounted bloated or rusty cans.
Don't pull tabs. Make sure the pull tabs are nicely attached. If somebody has lifted it up, you want to stay away from that product.
When in doubt, throw it out. When you do open the can at home and something bubbles out, or if you notice any mold or any unusual smell -- don’t put your finger in to taste. When in doubt, throw it out. ";
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Wash with cold running water. Wash your fruits and vegetables before using them or eating them. Just because fruits and vegetables look nice and clean, remember that a lot of people come through the supermarket, and most people like to feel their fruit and vegetables and don’t necessarily buy them. You could hypothetically have the bacteria of the last 40 customers that have come through. And approximately half of all hands that touch fruit haven’t been washed correctly.
Don’t use detergent. Cold running water will get off 99 percent of any residue that needs to be removed from a product. Detergent works very well with your laundry, but it does not work very well with produce. Residual detergent could cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to chemicals that they normally don’t ingest.
Don't turn the sink into a tub. When washing fruit and vegetables, do not fill up the sink like a bath tub and put everything into it. It’s like contaminated soup. Wash in a strainer and let the cold water run over.
Peel! Peel the fruit's skin if you’re still concerned about residue and are not satisfied with your washing.
Check your own refrigerator. Approximately 90 percent of people do not have any temperature indicator in their refrigerators except for dials which say \"A, B, C, D\" or \"1, 2, 3, 4.\" After all the good things you’ve learned here about consumer wisdom, make sure you invest in a $3 thermometer so that you know your refrigerator at home is working at the right temperature. Products will last anywhere from 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator if it’s stored at 41 degrees or below.
Wash your own hands. Most people do a 5-second quickie, which is not sufficient to get around the fingertips and cuticles where most of the dirt or bacteria is. Wash for 20 seconds, which is about the same amount of time as singing “Happy Birthday” to yourself twice. ";
// END editorial data