Pandemic, Tips for Safe Grocery Shopping and Food Preparation

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In order to flatten the curve, staying at home is essential in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, a long list of regional governments have now enacted the Large-Scale Social Restriction (PSBB) policy, on top of the central government’s warnings of physical distancing.

Within the enactment of the PSBB policy, families are encouraged to stay at home. As a result, you might find yourself cooking more often than ever before. Cooking your meals is a cheaper and healthier alternative for you and the family. In addition, cooking can also be a new hobby for you and your family to explore together; providing a new outlet for fun and creativity during your stay at home. 

However, as grocery shopping is essential to ensure that your kitchen is well stocked to cook a great meal, it is important to keep yourself safe during your weekly shopping trips. To help protect you and your family, other shoppers and grocery workers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noted a few things to keep in mind while grocery shopping and preparing food.

1. Prepare a shopping list

Through these trying times, you need to be mindful of your family’s grocery needs. With the inflated prices and added economic pressure; think cheap and effective. Plan out your meals for the coming week; avoid unnecessary ingredients and keep it simple. In addition, as families across the country are now going through the Ramadan fasting period, be sure to keep your ingredient list stocked with the necessary vitamins for suhoor and iftar meals. Lastly, be considerate and do not stockpile; buying more than you need can create unnecessary demand and temporary shortages.

2. Face mask and physical distancing

This might seem obvious, but nevertheless necessary. With the enactment of the PSBB policy, face masks when outdoors is paramount in avoiding COVID-19 transmission; this also goes for grocery shopping. Furthermore, you also need to ensure you keep your distance while shopping, especially in those tight aisles or while queueing in the cashier. In addition to keeping yourself safe, wearing face masks and physical distancing will also help to keep those around you safe.

3. Bring hand wipes and sanitizers

Hand sanitizers are must-haves during the pandemic. However, between hand sanitizers being expensive and potentially dangerous when overused, you might also want to consider bringing sanitizing hand wipes. Although some grocery stores might provide it, you should think ‘better safe than sorry.’ Hand wipes are great alternatives to hand sanitizers, as you can instead wipe down the handles of your shopping cart or basket and other surfaces you come in contact with while grocery shopping. In addition, if you are using a reusable shopping bag, be sure to keep it sanitary before you go shopping.

4. Sanitize once you are home

Once you are home, avoid all contact and be sure to clean yourself first. You might do your best in keeping your hands safe and sanitary, but your clothes are another story entirely. If you have one of those disinfecting chambers, that will come in handy right about now. Alternatively, a shower and thorough hand wash will also provide the same results. Next, you want to sanitize the packaging, if any, of the groceries you just bought. By doing this, you can ensure that other family members in contact with the groceries will also remain safe.

5. Rinse fruits and vegetables

As they are perishables, fruits and vegetables are not likely to remain on your shelves for too long. When processing fruits and vegetables, you first need to rinse them under running water, including fruits or vegetables with skins or rinds you are not likely to eat, such as lemons or oranges. Next, give them a thorough scrub with a produce brush, trying to rid of any unwanted materials on your produce. For canned goods, be sure to wipe the metallic lids before opening the product.

6. Sanitize and disinfect your kitchen

Generally, sanitizing your kitchen in regular intervals is something you should do; especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the years cooking in your kitchen and storing groceries in the refrigerator, you might have collected more filth than you want to know about. Furthermore, your efforts in keeping yourself safe while shopping and sanitizing your groceries might just be for naught if you do not disinfect kitchen surfaces, such as countertops. In practice, disinfect your kitchen using commercially available disinfectant products, be sure to cover every surface that you or your produce will come in contact with. This also goes for kitchen appliances such as knives or cutting boards, as well as your cutleries.

DIO SUHENDA | FDA