FDA shares guidelines on how supermarket shoppers can stay healthy during coronavirus crisis

A sign at a Safeway supermarket in Northwest D.C. advises shoppers to wear face masks and practice social distancing on April 18, 2020. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

While businesses across the D.C.-region remain closed, many grocery stores are busier than ever — and health officials are releasing guidelines on how consumers can protect themselves and workers while shopping for food during the coronavirus crisis.

The Food and Drug Administration advises that although shoppers should practice social distancing and exercise good hygiene during and after a trip to the supermarket, there is no evidence that the coronavirus is spreading through food or on food packaging.

But from one-way aisles to mandatory face coverings, shoppers across the region are still being asked to follow certain safety measures at their local grocer.

The FDA’s advise to shoppers:

Prepare a shopping list in advance: Planning ahead means less time wandering the aisles and less potential exposure. But don’t hoard, the FDA urges: Buy up to two weeks of groceries at a time to avoid contributing to temporary shortages.
Wear a mask: Some of the region’s cities and counties have opted to bar food shoppers without some form of face covering, although it’s practice to wear one even if it isn’t required.
Carry your own sanitizing wipes: Wipe down shopping carts or baskets. If you use reusable shopping bags, ensure they are cleaned or washed before each use — although be aware that some grocers, including Safeway, have temporarily banned their clerks from handling reusable totes.
Practice social distancing: Maintain the recommended minimum distance of six feet from the nearest shopper. Watch for single-file aisles.
Wash your hands afterward: Rinse them with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds, twice: When returning home, and after putting away groceries.
For extra caution, wipe down packaging: Although the FDA stresses that COVID-19 has thus far not been known to transmit on food packaging, those shoppers wanting to be extra careful can wipe down products and allow them to air dry.