Safely Handling Food/Groceries

[NYCgrrl]

Having trouble linking to it, but I suggest you watch the Trevor Noah interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci. It’s less than 15 minutes and has good straightforward answers to some basic questions.

Dr. Fauci essentially says there’s no need to get obsessive over it. Which makes me feel better. I’ve been taking a moderately cautious approach: removing packaging, wiping down surfaces. washing hands, etc. without going nuts. I’ll continue doing this. I trust Dr. Fauci.

I'm not sure where some are getting their food storage protocol from but guessing it's a form of stress/anxiety.

 

[disney212]

What berries and vegetables can't be washed?

I can't use sanitizer on berries before putting them away. Didn't say they couldn't be washed.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I am wiping everything down with a sanitizing wipe. Fruit gets a wipe too then washed with organic safe soap to remove any residue. I am avoiding fruit (berries) and veggies I can't wash. All packages also get a thorough wipe down. Then counters and anything unwashed food has touched gets a wipe down and finally hands are sanitized followed by washed with soap. I have several immunity issues and lung disease so not taking chances. I do it as I un-bag and it only took about 5 minutes extra.

I can't use sanitizer on berries before putting them away. Didn't say they couldn't be washed.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I meant the bolded part of your earlier post.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

Use common sense and don't go to extremes. There are studies that overuse of disinfectants can lead to compromised immune system and you don't need to be giving yourself chemical pneumonia because you inhale a can of Lysol every time you go grocery shopping or get a delivery.

 

[kymom99]

Use common sense and don't go to extremes. There are studies that overuse of disinfectants can lead to compromised immune system and you don't need to be giving yourself chemical pneumonia because you inhale a can of Lysol every time you go grocery shopping or get a delivery.

My friend who I consider to be level headed is losing her mind over this. She and her mom were spraying their hands with lysol, rubbing it in, then washing their hands with soap and water after getting home from being out. I don't get into battles with people over that sort of thing, but lysol is not meant for the skin. Now this friend and her mom will not go out, only do click list for groceries, because there are positive cases in their county now. I listen to Dr. Fauci. I also listen to my governor who has advisors for this sort of thing.

 

[DisneyOma]

And on top of all of this - people could be killing off the good bacteria that lives on their skin, the bacteria that keeps them safe. Don't even think about all the leaching of toxic chemicals into the food containers when people wipe them down obsessively.

 

[billlaurie]

And contributing to bad bacteria mutating and becoming resistant to the chemicals.

 

[Kitty 34]

Some expert in our state (MI) suggested keeping groceries outside for 3 days. You know how many raccoons would be on our porch!!!!

 

[Imzadi]

Some expert in our state (MI) suggested keeping groceries outside for 3 days. You know how many raccoons would be on our porch!!!!

Then you buy big, raccoon resistant Rubbermaid tubs to put the groceries in. Better raccoons visit than Covid-19.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Some expert in our state (MI) suggested keeping groceries outside for 3 days. You know how many raccoons would be on our porch!!!!

Ok now that is just silly. We have too many critters out here. It’s also 86 degrees. Lol

 

[Heather07438]

The bears have awoken and hit our garbage last week. Time to start double screwing the lids on again. We have heavy duty bear proof cans with screw on lids that withstood bear attacks for over 10 years (one even has 3 Freddy Krueger style claw marks). Last year a smart bear figured how to screw the lid off. DH & DS have to put 2 screws in the side of the lid now. Screw gun required for putting out the trash. The 1st time bear returned after that, he tried throwing and rolling the garbage can against the side of a hill for 20 minutes before giving up. We kept a video It's hilarious!

We have a secure porch to leave goods, but we're not at that point. We could never leave them outside!

ETA- Ours are similar to these but 50 gallon. Given free as a pilot study for our neighborhood about 15yrs ago. All 3 of ours have survived. https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Bearicuda-Bear-Resistant-Screw-top-airtight/dp/B07WWJ7BYJ

 

[DisneyOma]

https://www.syracuse.com/coronaviru...ages-dr-fauci-answers-covid-19-questions.html

 

[amylevan]

Right now there are 94 reported positive cases in my county. That is 0.03 PERCENT (0.0003) of the population of our county. So even if we are undercounted by a VERY significant amount, we’re looking at a very small chance that an infected person sneezed on the specific box of cereal that I’m buying within the last 72 hours. Being in the grocery store in the first place carries a much larger chance of getting sick.

So, no I’m not disinfecting my groceries. If things get so bad that we’re getting sick just from handling foods, we likely have much bigger issues. I will wash my hands after shopping, try to not touch my face, and wash my hands before/after cooking as always, but I refuse to turn be at this level of insanity.

Not to mention that Lysol is not food safe. And I’m seriously concerned about the emergence of super bacteria from all of this.

 

[kymom99]

Right now there are 94 reported positive cases in my county. That is 0.03 PERCENT (0.0003) of the population of our county. So even if we are undercounted by a VERY significant amount, we’re looking at a very small chance that an infected person sneezed on the specific box of cereal that I’m buying within the last 72 hours. Being in the grocery store in the first place carries a much larger chance of getting sick.

So, no I’m not disinfecting my groceries. If things get so bad that we’re getting sick just from handling foods, we likely have much bigger issues. I will wash my hands after shopping, try to not touch my face, and wash my hands before/after cooking as always, but I refuse to turn be at this level of insanity.

Not to mention that Lysol is not food safe. And I’m seriously concerned about the emergence of super bacteria from all of this.

I’m with you

 

[Imzadi]

My “plan” when this all started was to shop at 4 am. (24 hour store). Now the store closes overnight to deep clean and restock; I totally understand. I just need to come up with a new plan.

Thanks for the opinions, if during elder hours it is super crowded it sort of defeats the purpose.

I think it depends on the store and where you are located. I went on Wed to my local supermarket during senior/compromised immunity hour. I got there at 7:40, so I had about 20 min to shop before senior hour was over. So, I don't know what it was like right at the start of the hour and if it was a lot busier. It was wonderful. There was only about 15 of us in the whole store, including the store employees on the floor. It was like we were playing human Pac Man.

We'd turn the corner to go down an aisle. If we'd see someone, we'd turn around and go down another aisle until that person was finished where we wanted to go. When I was at the sour cream trying to figure out which one had the lowest fat, I saw another person waiting till I was finished. So I grabbed one, walked away to check the label, so he could get the one, then I went back to look some more.

Today, I got to the same store an hour later. I just missed the senior hour. There were a few more people and I noticed they weren't so respectful of boundaries or waiting. And most were a few years younger. So, now I know to go earlier.

Although, the change in demographic today could be because the Whole Foods a few blocks away just closed due to an employee getting the Coronavirus. They've now moved to shopping the smaller, local store. I'm in NYC. I was in that Whole Foods 2 weeks ago, when this all started and we had the first few confirmed cases. It was a zoo. There was no such thing as social distancing. I just knew there was probably a couple people in that massive crowd that had the virus. And that was before we even heard that there are asymptomatic people. I wasn't going to take the chance of wading through that crowd. I swore I wouldn't go in there again until after this is over. I have a feeling it never stopped being that crowded. I'm not surprised an employee got sick.

I think the big box stores will always be busier. They naturally draw bigger crowds. The smaller, locally owned stores don't have as much traffic. I went into my local dollar store, not Dollar Tree, and again, it had very few people. I hit paydirt on canned goods there and plastic wrap. My suggestion to you is to try stores that naturally aren't as busy as Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, etc.

 

[Hikergirl]

Down in Jersey City there are plastic gloves littered about the streets by the thousands. I can't comprehend. People are wearing disposable gloves to be conscientious I guess? But can't think to at least throw them in the public garbage cans on almost every corner?

I noticed gloves littering the side of the road today.
The irony is that on March 1 we started our plastic bag ban. Now instead of plastic bags littering the streets we have nitrile gloves all over.

 

[disney212]

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I meant the bolded part of your earlier post.

My fault, I wasn't clear in my original post.

 

[mjkacmom]

I’ve been ordering my groceries online (like always) bring in the cold, wipe them off with a Lysol wipe, wash my hands, and get non perishables 24 hours later. It’s 50 degrees and they sit in my van. I also get my mail 24 hours after it was delivered. We have several deaths here, and our town’s grocery store is always busy.

 

[NYCgrrl]

My fault, I wasn't clear in my original post.

It's OK we're all in uncharted territory.

 

[Imzadi]

I’ve been ordering my groceries online (like always) bring in the cold, wipe them off with a Lysol wipe, wash my hands, and get non perishables 24 hours later. It’s 50 degrees and they sit in my van. I also get my mail 24 hours after it was delivered.

COVID-19 stays alive on plastic & hard surfaces for 3 days and 24 hours on cardboard. Unless those non perishables are all in cardboard, the 24 hours won't be enough. I haven't heard that cool temperatures affect it? Anyone know?