The Gross Customer Behavior That Makes Grocery Store Employees Cringe

It's easy to forget that other people can see what you're up to. Grocery store employees catch shoppers eating unpurchased produce more often than they'd prefer, according to Reddit. "I do not know how many times I want to beg people not to sample the way they do. I work produce. I can provide a sample product for customers. But if it's something you eat whole, like berries or grapes, stop, please stop taking it out of the bag and throwing it in your mouth. If you really knew the amount of just everything that ends up on a product, you would be just as disgusted."

Casually munching on grocery store produce means one either trusts the produce is clean (it's not) or chooses to overlook the truth for a mid-shopping snack. In the same Reddit thread, the original poster and employees shared the horrors they've seen firsthand. "I see little kids actually wipe their noses on things all the time. Grown adults spitting seeds and pits into bags with the stuff they just 'sampled', and then put them back." 

There's no way to know if what you're eating has been sneezed on, dropped, or licked. The possibilities are endless when it comes to the produce's journey from the farm to your mouth. Sometimes, what makes the produce unsanitary is intentional. One Redditor wrote, "I've seen teenagers shove apples down their pants and rub them around before putting them back. Obviously, I cleaned those... but imagine the ones I didn't know about." If you want to try something before purchase, there's a way that doesn't involve eating produce that's as nasty as a grocery cart.

The next time you're shopping and want to sample some produce, ask an employee. As that same Reddit thread says: "Want a sample? I'll wash it for you and get you a piece. Apple? I'll clean the wax off the surface and cut you a slice. Grapes? Let me dip that in some fruit fresh to clean it." If you've never done this before, it may feel silly. However, some grocery stores are well-known for their willingness to let customers sample food. 

Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Sam's Club are all known for providing samples of pretty much everything. But if you aren't sure, asking an employee to clean a sample before eating a piece of fruit that could potentially make you sick is a great food safety tip to keep in mind when grocery shopping.

It isn't likely that the produce you see at your local market or big box store was washed before making its way to the displays. This means that dirt, debris, and countless hands have been on the surface. Simply rubbing an apple on your shirt isn't enough to remove each questionable layer of germs. Washing produce won't eliminate all of the risk when it comes to potential illness, but it will reduce the likelihood of you or someone in your home getting sick from dangerous bacteria. Whether purchased from a grocery store or farmers market, all produce should be thoroughly washed under running water before consumption. Just be sure to avoid putting your produce stickers down the drain during the process.