Is it just me? Raw meat at the grocery store

[TaylorEar]

I use the plastic bags from the meat section. The baggers always ask if I want the meat put in a separate plastic bag or in my reusable bags and I say "just stick them in the reusable". They are already inside plastic packages, inside plastic bags, so I don't think a 3rd layer of plastic really matters.

Curious - OP and others - how do you store your meat once it's home? Do you leave it in its original packaging and stick it in the fridge/freezer, or do you store it in something else? I tend to leave stuff in the original package, and it does sit next to other foot items/containers on the shelf... I guess I've never thought about it because I've never had a package leak/spill.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Not necessarily just Walmart, JanaDee, those bag spinning holders are showing up everywhere.

To the grocery clerk poster above. The other day I bought a hot spot remedy for my dog. Before I could say a word the employee put it in a separate bag apart from the food I was thrilled with her doing that just in case it accidently opened.

 

[Imzadi]

My store has plastic produce bags in the meat department so that you can put your packages of meat in those if you wish. That's good enough for me.

I'll have to look for those - not sure I've ever seen them.

I use the plastic bags in the fresh fruit & vegetable dept. It's the SAME plastic bags. Sometimes, the meat dept doesn't have those bags. But the veggie dept always has a few rolls of them around. So I pick up a couple bags, depending on how much meat or fish I am planning to buy that day, as I purposely make a stop through the veggie aisle first. Then I have them when I get to the meat aisle.

 

[LBIJim]

Curious - OP and others - how do you store your meat once it's home? Do you leave it in its original packaging and stick it in the fridge/freezer, or do you store it in something else? I tend to leave stuff in the original package, and it does sit next to other foot items/containers on the shelf... I guess I've never thought about it because I've never had a package leak/spill.

It it's going to be used that day, or within a day or two, it stays in the original package in the refrigerator. If not, it gets frozen. A small package gets frozen as is, a larger package is broken up into separate portions and frozen separately.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

OP I am in 100% agreement with you.

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/Food-Facts/Bagging-Groceries.aspx

 

[Sadie22]

I take care to avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen by isolating raw meat, seafood, and poultry. i bought a package of beef on my last shopping trip. I put the tray into a plastic bag, taking care not to puncture anything. This was placed inside a larger plastic bag upon checkout. All that went on a tray with sides in the refrigerator until I was ready to prepare it.

 

[Poohforyou]

I can't imagine throwing stuff out because it may have come in contact with meat. Just wash it off. That's the really odd thing to me.

 

[Starwind]

My store has plastic produce bags in the meat department so that you can put your packages of meat in those if you wish. That's good enough for me.

One of the grocery stores i shop at has these. The others don't -- for them i just grab extra produce bags in the vegetables section on my way to the meat section.

All of the grocery stores i shop at, the cashier will ask if i want the meat in a separate bag, even if i have already put it in a veggie bag. i wlways make a point of thanking them for asking "no thank you, but thank you for asking".

SW

 

[Disneylover99]

I always request my meat to be bagged separately, before they start shoving it into bags with everything else. That grosses me out.

 

[aprilgail]

It's not a big deal to me. If it did bother me I would simple take the meat and put in another bag.

I agree- I don't care if they pack it in with other food, never had an issue with any cross contamination.

 

[kamik86]

I use the plastic bags from the meat section. The baggers always ask if I want the meat put in a separate plastic bag or in my reusable bags and I say "just stick them in the reusable". They are already inside plastic packages, inside plastic bags, so I don't think a 3rd layer of plastic really matters.

Curious - OP and others - how do you store your meat once it's home? Do you leave it in its original packaging and stick it in the fridge/freezer, or do you store it in something else? I tend to leave stuff in the original package, and it does sit next to other foot items/containers on the shelf... I guess I've never thought about it because I've never had a package leak/spill.

I have a section of my fridge where raw meat goes. The spot next to it on the shelf is where the beer goes so even if meat were to leak it is only going to be on the outside of the bottle. Anything that is ate raw would be above that or in the crisper drawers (my fridge has the shelfs with the lips to catch leaks so its not goign to fall down into those)

Also my husband works at Target and he was definitely trained not to put cleaning supplies in with food, and once his store started having fresh groceries everyone (because any employee can be asked to cover cash registers) was made to take a training class on food safety. Given that our target has all of 1 aisle that has raw meats and vegetables (separated of course) I would assume a grocery store would do the same, but around here they don't.

Its not just the kids either. The worse store for this is one in our home town that seems to always have people bagging (they cater to the elderly apartment building next door so maybe that is why this one has more) and alot of the baggers are in their 40s or more and they are the ones doing this. The same store the next town over uses mostly teenagers for cashiers and yet the few times they end up bagging they either ask or do it well.

I refuse to buy any food at walmart that doesn't come in a box. The produce at ours is awful and the meat goes bad faster then any of the local stores. I know that isn't true of all walmarts I have been to some that seemed to have good food. Ours just doesn't.

 

[THEDISNEYTHREE]

I am just like you. I want my raw meat by itself. I always use the meat bags in the department and then also want the raw meat bagged by itself. I do the self checker a lot and my son loves to bag the food, so of course I have told him to bag the raw meat by itself. Well, he also bagged all the lunch meats by themselves. Lol!

 

[morgan98]

If I have raw meat, poultry or seafood in the refrigerator (generally only for that day or the next day's meal) I do tend to put the package on a plate in case of anything leaking, but I rarely have a problem with that. However, when I buy fresh seafood (to be cooked that day) sometimes the ice it is packed in begins to thaw, so the plate can catch that.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Her: "Only when a customer is being picky. Not everyone cares."

Whoooooaaaa. These words passed here lips to you? That's 100% stupid.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Our grocery store bags raw meat separately. We don't have to ask, it just happens. Although most of the time we do our own bagging.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I'm surprised my whole family isn't dead from all this raw meat contamination I keep seeing. It's interesting to read about all the things I'm supposed to monitor and/or perform here on the DIS. I've not given many of these a first or second thought. Now I'm gonna go outside and get a drink from the water hose. Be right back.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm surprised my whole family isn't dead from all this raw meat contamination I keep seeing. It's interesting to read about all the things I'm supposed to monitor and/or perform here on the DIS. I've not given many of these a first or second thought. Now I'm gonna go outside and get a drink from the water hose. Be right back.

It's not very funny when it happens to your family.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

It's not very funny when it happens to your family.

Can you show me where I said anything was funny or anything at all about your family? Just curious...

 

[pigletgirl]

Our Schnucks had that problem for awhile until they got a new store manager.

 

[tina.tina]

The CS lady said they'll do whatever the customer wants, even if she was a little snotty.

Ah, yes! The eye-rolling, "whatever" teenage type of thing that has spread to adults. Don't you love it?

I was a cashier at a grocery store when I was in college. I worked there for about a year and we had several training sessions on how to bag groceries where everyone had to come in during an evening after the store was closed.

The other day, my mom was talking about how gross the outside of grocery store meat packages must be. The meat dept employee is cutting and/or portioning the meat and then they wrap it. I would guess they don't change gloves between putting the meat in the tray and wrapping it. So, you'd have to have contamination on the outside of the wrapper.

I'm surprised my whole family isn't dead from all this raw meat contamination I keep seeing. It's interesting to read about all the things I'm supposed to monitor and/or perform here on the DIS. I've not given many of these a first or second thought. Now I'm gonna go outside and get a drink from the water hose. Be right back.

I have to say that I think there are tons of odd illnesses that happen to people I know. For example, Guillain Barre Syndrome has a higher incidence in slaughter house employees.