Now that you’ve bagged your meat in a way that won’t make you sick, pay attention to how and where you’re placing the reusable bag with the meat in it. From shopping cart to conveyor belt, all of it matters. “Try to keep meat products away from other items in your basket or cart while shopping and waiting at the checkout line,” shared registered sanitarian at NSF, Mindy Costello (via EatingWell), who added that giving the meat an extra layer of insulation with the plastic wrapping could keep it cooler for longer too. She also suggests shopping for meat as the last item on your grocery list, again to keep it cold till you get home and can refrigerate it.
If you live more than 30 minutes away from home, you may benefit from taking a cooler with you on the grocery shopping visit, said certified dietician nutritionist and medical reviewer for Illuminate Labs, DJ Mazzoni (via Southern Living). “One of the biggest mistakes that people can make is failing to properly cool chicken during a commute home … I would recommend using a cooler to store chicken for any commute over 30 minutes to minimize bacterial growth,” explained Mazzoni.