Question: What should I do when shopping for food?
Answer: Make sure the food you by is fresh and will not cause illness by following these simple tips:
- Read food labels carefully. Be sure that all dairy products that you purchase have been pasteurized. Do not buy any food that contains raw or undercooked meat or eggs if it is meant to be eaten raw. Be sure that the "sell by" date has not passed.
- Put packaged meat, poultry, or fish in separate plastic bags to prevent their juices from dripping onto other groceries or each other.
- Check the package that the food comes in to make sure that it isn’t damaged.
- Do not buy food that has been displayed in unsafe or unclean conditions. Examples include meat that is allowed to sit without refrigeration or cooked shrimp that is displayed with raw shrimp.
- After shopping, put all cold and frozen foods into your refrigerator or freezer as soon as you can. Do not leave food sitting in the car. Keeping cold or frozen food out of refrigeration for even a couple of hours can give germs a chance to grow.
