Safe food handling practices at the grocery store

Buy cold or frozen food at the end of your shopping.

Keep your raw meat, poultry and seafood cold. Refrigerate or freeze them as soon as you get home from the grocery store.

Keep your raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood away from other food in your grocery cart so you don't spread foodborne bacteria from raw food to ready-to-eat food.

Use pre-packaged deli meats within 4 days, preferably 2-3 days, after opening; even if this date is different than the best-before date. Best-before dates apply to unopened packages only. Deli meats sliced at the grocer should also be eaten within 4 days, preferably 2-3 days.

Put raw food in individual plastic bags and pack them separately in your reusable grocery bags.

Older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems should avoid raw or unpasteurized dairy products, including soft and semi-soft cheese, such as Brie, Camembert and blue-veined cheese. Go for Cheddar, Swiss or Parmesan!

If you use reusable grocery bags, make sure to use a specific bag or bin just for raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood. Label the bag with the type of food it carries.