Travel & Lifestyle: The Germiest Places At The Grocery Store

Grocery shopping is one of the more mundane errands people do. But in times of high infectious disease prevalence (like our current flu season and period of norovirus outbreaks), it’s an activity with increased potential to come into contact with high-touch surfaces and illness-causing bacteria.

To help shoppers keep sickness at bay, we asked experts to break down the germiest areas in grocery stores and share their advice for protecting themselves from harmful microbes.

“The key to microbial transfer is pressure,” said microbiologist Jason Tetro, aka “The Germ Guy.” “If something is touched with enough pressure, microbes will be left behind. So it should be no surprise that the germiest place is the PIN pad at the cashier.”

While the whole checkout section is a high-touch area, the PIN pads and touchscreens are touched with that extra pressure.

“Checkout touchscreens and keypads are frequently touched but rarely disinfected,” added Kelly Reynolds, a professor and chair of the Community, Environment and Policy Department at The University of Arizona’s Zuckerman College of Public Health.

She noted that the same goes for the touchscreen barcode scanners and card readers at self-checkout stations, so try to avoid direct contact when possible.

“Using contactless payment reduces the need to touch high-contact surfaces,” Reynolds noted.

“In general, areas with high human touch and traffic are the most likely to be contaminated with germs, like shopping cart handles and shopping basket handles,” said Jagdish Khubchandani, a professor of public health at New Mexico State University.

He noted that studies have found a variety of bacteria on shopping carts and basket handles, including those that can cause food-borne illnesses like E. coli and S. aureus.

“The shopping cart handle can be a source of bacteria as it has to be held and pushed with the hands,” Tetro said. “And it is always touched with even more pressure than the PIN pad.”

Reynolds similarly noted that the handles have been found to have high levels of fecal contamination.

“To reduce the risk of exposure to harmful microbes, use disinfecting wipes to wipe down shopping cart handles before use,” she advised.

The same goes for the inside of the cart, which harbor microbes from previous customers’ hands and grocery items. And the baby seats can come into contact with soiled diapers.

“One other place people don’t think about are the handles in the refrigerator and freezer sections,” Tetro said.

He described these handles as “havens for microbes” thanks to the pressure required to open those doors.

“The door handles for refrigerated items that are popular in grocery stores are also less likely to be cleaned compared to many other spaces,” Khubchandani said.

He recommended avoiding the middle part of the handles if you have to touch them.

“Bulk food bins and scoops are often contaminated by hands that may not be clean,” Reynolds said.

Be mindful the next time you scoop out some nuts, seeds, spices, candy, etc.

“Make sure to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before or after touching the handles or scoops,” said Carol McLay, an infection preventionist and president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. “Wipe the scoop with a disinfecting wipe or use a napkin to hold it.”

Reynolds noted that produce sections can also harbor a lot of bacteria.

“Fruits and vegetables may have come straight from the fields without being washed, and depending on where it’s from, it may have been sprayed with fertilizer that can have coliform bacteria in it,” McLay said, adding that the produce bins aren’t often washed and their contents can be touched by multiple people.

Examining your produce not only gives you a sense of freshness, but you can also see if any holes, cracks or other openings allow germs to enter the fruit or vegetable. Try to choose produce without these openings and put it in bags so it doesn’t touch your germy shopping cart directly.

“Select produce carefully, Reynolds advised. “Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly at home.”

To effectively wash your produce, start by washing your hands, then run cool water over your fruits and veggies while rubbing them with your hands to remove dirt and microorganisms on the surface. To take things a step further, you can use a vegetable brush to scrub the surface of items with thick skin. (Soaking your produce in a solution of cold water and baking soda can be even more effective by removing pesticide residue as well.)

Try to use the bathroom at home before and/or after your supermarket outing rather than relying on the public facilities on site.

“Avoid using the restroom in grocery stores,” Khubchandani said. “There are areas that may not receive consistent disinfection and cleaning, like restroom door handles.”

If you must use the bathroom while out, keep in mind that the handles are likely highly contaminated.

“Use a paper towel to open and close doors,” McLay said.

“Reusable grocery bags have been shown in studies to harbor bacteria from previous shopping trips due to multi-use activities, spilled foods, and infrequent laundering,” Reynolds said.

That’s why it’s important to regularly disinfect your reusable bags and only bring clean ones to the store.

“One study found that 97% of people have never washed their reusable grocery bags,” McLay said. “I use my disinfectant spray after each use, and those that can go into the washing machine go in on a routine basis. Depending on the bag, you can wash it with hot soapy water or disinfectants. Just make sure you’re rinsing it out really well.”

“Pay attention to that glass surface of the deli counter,” McLay said. “People are touching that counter all the time. You see little kids pressing up against, see their noses pressed up against it.”

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It’s another area that gets touched more than it’s cleaned, so avoid putting your hands there too.

“There’s a high risk for cross contamination from the raw meats in the area as well,” McLay said. “Be aware of the potential to transfer bacteria from deli counter surfaces to your other food.”

She also recommended making sure your raw meat is bagged separately from the rest of your food to avoid cross-contamination in your shopping cart and on the way home.

“Many grocery stores have salad bars, and that’s like a germ buffet,” McLay said.

This is another situation where you’ll want to use a barrier like a paper towel to handle utensils and apply hand sanitizer.

“Be careful using the tongs because often those aren’t clean,” McLay said. “Make sure your hands are clean before and afterwards.”

“Grocery stores are kinda like gyms, airplanes, and emergency rooms,” Tetro said. “We know the germiest places, and we don’t know the microbial status of the people touching them before us. We cannot expect them to be completely devoid of microbes, it’s just impossible ― so make sure to take care of yourself so stay safe.”

He recommended disinfecting what you can. Wipe down your grocery cart handles with a disinfecting wipe before you start. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ideally 62-70% alcohol) after touching things. Wash your hands properly before and after your shopping trip.

“Do your best not to touch your face,” Tetro added. “It’s hard considering we tend to touch our faces at least 16 times an hour, but when you’re shopping, those surfaces can be primed with infectious agents that can make you sick.”

If you’re really concerned, consider wearing a scarf or gaiter to keep your hands from touching your mouth and nose.

“Shopping during off-peak hours reduces exposure to high-touch surfaces and crowded spaces,” Reynolds added. “These simple precautions can help to reduce the spread of germs and minimize health risks.”