Alert! Supermarket groceries may carry more germs than your toilet!

Washington: Groceries from supermarkets may host more germs than the toilet in your home, say experts who have warned that harmful microbes may be invading homes in many ways, posing serious health risks. According to Charles Gerba, microbiologist at the University of Arizona in the US there are many avenues through which microbes are piggybacking on produce without the buyer knowing it.

The germ exposure is highest in meat containers where they breed fast. Among things that host harmful germs are shopping cart handles, said Gerba.
"It may be recalled that bulk of the germs is transmitted through hands during the purchase of grocery at the shopping cart handles, where too much of bacteria load up from the touch of different people," he said. Wiping the handle is most important, notes Gerba. He advises using sanitising wipes at the store's entry or carrying own wipes to stay secure.

Fresh produce section often doubles up as a hub of germs as an easy point of entry for germs into handles. "I don't know anyone who buys produce without squeezing or touching it," Gerba was quoted as saying by the 'Tech Times'. Meat, poultry, or seafood should be bought only if the packaging is fault free. If packaging is torn, it is good to forego the item as outlets invite germs, Gerba said.