This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
Keeping your person-to-person to a minimum is the most effective way of reducing your risk of contracting COVID-19. And since grocery stores are one of the few places open where you might have person-to-person contact, limiting the number of grocery trips you take is a good idea. As a result, many people are sticking to grocery delivery.
With that in mind, keep reading for the worst mistake you can make when getting groceries delivered.
Leaving Them Outside
Recently, experts have spoken out, warning people not to leave their groceries outside for three days in an attempt to sanitize them.
Speaking to NJ Advance Media, Donald Schaffner, a distinguished professor and extension specialist in food science with expertise in microbial risk assessment and hand washing at Rutgers, "Are you really going to leave your carton of milk and your deli meats in your unrefrigerated garage for three days?"
The experts also dispelled the idea that you need to wipe down every single food you bring into your home.
Dr. Claude Krummenacher, a virologist and assistant professor at Rowan University, "I don’t think it’s really necessary, but it’s not going to hurt if people want to wipe their canned food for plastic containers."
He explained, "The food is not going to kill you. I understand that people want to be careful, but I think they should not be overly paranoid about your tin of peas."
With that in mind, when you are getting groceries delivered, it's a good idea to research what actual experts and health organizations (like the CDC) have to say about proper sanitation rather than relying on unsupported claims of what you should do.
