Grocery shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic heightens exposure risks through contact with others and surfaces. Yet, feeding your family remains essential. Drawing from health authorities and infectious disease experts, here are 15 proven tips to shop safely and avoid bringing the virus home.
During lockdowns, avoid unnecessary trips for single items like a packet of sugar. The goal is to minimize outings and contacts. Check your cupboards and fridge to note what's low or expiring, then plan menus accordingly to reduce waste.
Using available ingredients, create family menus covering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. This saves money and prevents waste. Opt for simple, budget-friendly recipes everyone enjoys. For ideas, check our 30 easy, quick, and inexpensive recipes.
From your inventory and menus, compile a comprehensive list, including household and hygiene items. Use a printable template for convenience. This prevents return trips and impulse buys.
Resist turning shopping into a family outing. Limit it to one household member to slash contamination risks. It also curbs kids' demands for extras, saving money.
Skip shared carts and baskets by using your own bags or trolley. This avoids surfaces touched by many. Some stores have removed theirs anyway. If forgetting bags, avoid touching your face.
Wash hands thoroughly with hand sanitizer before shopping to prevent both catching and spreading the virus. Learn proper handwashing techniques to combat COVID-19.
Experts like Dr. Benjamin Davido from Raymond-Poincaré Hospital advise against gloves: "They're a false sense of security; you touch your phone and forget basics. Risk persists when removing them." Instead, wash hands before leaving and upon return. Masks are mandatory in stores—pair with distancing and no face-touching (we do it ~250 times daily).
Keep at least 1 meter (ideally 2) from others to dodge droplets. Minimize product handling and shelf lingering to lower exposure.
No evidence supports COVID-19 transmission via food, per EFSA: "Prior coronaviruses didn't spread this way; no indication here either." German BfR deems it unlikely, and ANSES clears meat and imports. Wash hands post-checkout. See our 5 steps to avoid COVID-19.
Upon return, isolate bags, shoes, jackets, and keys in your entryway. Dr. Marc-André Langlois, University of Ottawa, warns: "Contaminated items spread virus indoors."
Remove potentially exposed clothes and wash at 40-60°C with regular detergent—effective against the virus. Dryers work too. Then, wash hands and don clean attire.
Coronavirus fades quickly on surfaces (NEJM study): stainless steel (24-48h), cardboard (8-24h), plastic (48-72h). Wait 4 hours per Dr. Alexandre Bleibtreu, or discard wrappers, wipe with vinegar/disinfectant, and store. Wash produce; fridge doesn't kill virus but risk is low after 4h.
Wash hands, then clean handles, counters, fridge doors—anything touched during unpacking. Vinegar inactivates (not kills) virus; use bleach/alcohol for killing (never on food).
Wash hands, produce, and peel where possible. Cooking at 63°C for 4 minutes cuts risk 10,000-fold (ANSES). Freezing ineffective. Soap, vinegar, alcohol inactivate virus; dishwashers at 60°C+ are safe.
Elderly or vulnerable? Use drive-thru, delivery, or ask neighbors. Some offer free service to minimize contacts.
Have these tips kept your shopping COVID-safe? Share your precautions in comments—we'd love to hear!
