Q&A for How to Bag Groceries

Yes. It's all in sealed cans, so there's no risk of contamination or spoilage or anything of the sort.

As raw meats have the ability to leak and possibly cause food poisoning like salmonella, uncooked meats need to be bagged separately. If you, the paying customer, tells the bagger to pack their groceries a certain way, then that's how the bagger should bag it. In the event the bagger refuses to pack your groceries as you request, you can either request a new bagger or speak with the store manager.

Yes -- both are raw meat and will be cooked before eating, so any bacteria present on either or both will be sterilized.

Yes. They both need to be cooked, so their bacteria will be destroyed during the cooking process.

You should wait until all the heavy items come down the belt, so you can bag those first. Otherwise, if you start to bag softer items first, you might have to do rearrange them, and that can consume more time.

It depends on your state. However, as a grocery store cashier I can tell you that the posted shelf prices are almost always correct. When the customer thinks the price is wrong, usually the customer has matched the item to the price of a different item. The shelf may have several different items on it at different prices, so be sure to read not just the shelf label's price, but the name of the product being sold at that price.

It depends on whether or not you plan on cooking the fish. If you're going to make sushi, you should bag it separately from chicken, which has salmonella when it's raw. If you're going to cook the fish, then you can bag it with the chicken, because the bacteria will be destroyed during the cooking process.

Yes. Bread and eggs should be placed on top of the heavy items in the bag. However, eggs should ideally have their own separate bag.

Produce is easily squished, so it depends on how heavy the frozen items are. Generally, fresh produce should get its own bag or go on top of heavier items in the same bag.

Dog food shouldn't be bagged, but rather placed on the bottom of the cart or handled as the customer desires. The bag is large enough to be carried as an object on its own and does not need a bag for carrying.

Yes, as long as the items are not raw, they can be bagged together. If possible, use a bag made specifically for carrying frozen goods home. Frozen items should be put in the freezer as soon as you get home.

It would be best to bag grapes by themselves just because they can be easily squished. Or, bag them on top of everything else in the bag.

Separate your items by categories. 1 - Bread, bake goods and eggs; 2 - refrigerated items; 3 - non perishables; 4 - raw meat; 5 - produce; 6 - chemicals. This makes it easier for the bagger to put like items together.