A question for the scientific Rootschatters

[BushInn1746]

I have never before worried about germs at all, including five years of drinking untreated water straight out of the river.  And that approach has always worked for me.

Erato, drinking straight out of the river sounds interesting

If you come to England, don't drink from the Rivers here.

Regarding my bread I'm removing it from packet, washing hands and toasting it both sides 

Mark

[JenB]

More than anything else about this blasted epidemic, I resent being turned into a germaphobe.  I have never before worried about germs at all, including five years of drinking untreated water straight out of the river.  And that approach has always worked for me. Now I find myself wondering if I should wash off cans of tuna and bags of macaroni and then giving in to the impulse.

You should try the Novak Djokovic approach  - positive thoughts and emotions can, apparently, purify water.

I haven't brought myself to watch the relevant conversation on Instagram, but this is a transcription:

I know some people that, through energetical transformation, through the power of prayer, through the power of gratitude, they managed to turn the most toxic food, or maybe most polluted water into the most healing water, because water reacts. Scientists have proven that in experiment, that molecules in the water react to our emotions to what has been said

 

[groom]

I did the washing groceries thing for a couple of shopping deliveries by son, then read that it wasn't necessary, so I now just unpack them and put them away as normal.

I don't do any extra hand-washing unless I've been outside the gate. Even then, I don't really touch anything when I'm out. I used sanitizer when we visited my brother, and we brought our own handtowels for the loo.

What a relief to hear this Eadaoin - I though I was the only one! 

[groom]

Probably will make people even more paranoid but the packers shop in the ordinary store and put your shopping into their trolleys before it is sent to you - it is not from the boxes of goods that they receive as stock.  You see them around the supermarket all the time whilst the rest of us are shopping.

Pheno

Not from where I get mine - it comes from the Waitrose Customer Fulfilment Centre, not the local store. It used to until about 3 years ago, but then they changed it. It's much better now as I rarely get any substitutions or unavailable. The delivery drivers aren't so happy as rather than local they are sent all over the place!

[Mike in Cumbria]

You should try the Novak Djokovic approach  - positive thoughts and emotions can, apparently, purify water.

I haven't brought myself to watch the relevant conversation on Instagram, but this is a transcription:

I know some people that, through energetical transformation, through the power of prayer, through the power of gratitude, they managed to turn the most toxic food, or maybe most polluted water into the most healing water, because water reacts. Scientists have proven that in experiment, that molecules in the water react to our emotions to what has been said

 

I must have missed reading that in any of the science journals. You'd have thought it would have been bigger news.

[Roobarb]

Apart from a friend bringing me some perishables, my main grocery shop is currently by supermarket delivery. I'm assuming that the goods that the packers are handling are direct from the boxes sent from the factories, which in turn would have been packed by machine. That does cut down the number of people who have handled the goods. I'm more concerned about such things as bread from the supermarket, people do have a bad habit of squeezing loaves or picking them up and then deciding on a different one. (I only buy packaged bread).

Probably will make people even more paranoid but the packers shop in the ordinary store and put your shopping into their trolleys before it is sent to you - it is not from the boxes of goods that they receive as stock.  You see them around the supermarket all the time whilst the rest of us are shopping.

Pheno

I haven't been to a supermarket since the lockdown but prior to that I'd never seen these people you refer to, only people stacking shelves from a large trolley. As you can change your order up to 10pm the night before I think it's highly unlikely that this is what these people are, it wouldn't make sense. I would very much doubt that they have to browse the shelves looking for substitutes during opening hours, it's much more likely that the picking and packing is done after the shop shuts.

[Pheno]

No it is done first thing in the morning generally Roobarb and certainly in most supermarkets they go round with a trolley just like you or I and take from the shelves, maybe not in the one groom mentions.

I don't wash or quarantine anything, just wash hands when coming in from outside. Personally, I think that becoming a 'virophobe' is partly responsible for the depressive state some people find themselves in, which will probably be difficult to emerge from.

Pheno

[Nick_Ips]

I would very much doubt that they have to browse the shelves looking for substitutes during opening hours, it's much more likely that the picking and packing is done after the shop shuts.

The different supermarket chains all have slightly different methods, and it can vary from location to location within one chain.

Tesco certainly have staff going round the store during normal opening hours picking orders from the shelves.

They use a different kind of trolley* to regular customers, and frankly can be a right pain because the trolley is so large - and could be used to pick more than one order at a time - so the staff might leave the trolley blocking an aisle for some time whilst they pick the different items in that location.

The shelf filling is usually done from cages (a tall metal cage on wheels) that are transported from the distribution depots to the stores. The boxes/outer packaging on those isn't opened until the cage gets to the display shelf in the store.

That's for the big Tesco stores.... your supermarket might do things differently.

(*Not to be confused with another set of staff with yet another different type of trolley who go round checking perishable stock for items close to the use by date and then take them to the discounted item shelf.)

[JenB]

You should try the Novak Djokovic approach  - positive thoughts and emotions can, apparently, purify water.

I haven't brought myself to watch the relevant conversation on Instagram, but this is a transcription:

I know some people that, through energetical transformation, through the power of prayer, through the power of gratitude, they managed to turn the most toxic food, or maybe most polluted water into the most healing water, because water reacts. Scientists have proven that in experiment, that molecules in the water react to our emotions to what has been said

 

I must have missed reading that in any of the science journals. You'd have thought it would have been bigger news.

Mike you clearly don’t read that invaluable and rigorous scientific journal known as Novak Djokovic’s Instagram account 

I haven't been to a supermarket since the lockdown but prior to that I'd never seen these people you refer to, only people stacking shelves from a large trolley. As you can change your order up to 10pm the night before I think it's highly unlikely that this is what these people are, it wouldn't make sense. I would very much doubt that they have to browse the shelves looking for substitutes during opening hours, it's much more likely that the picking and packing is done after the shop shuts.

During my pre-lockdown daytime visits to Tesco I frequently encountered members of staff picking orders for click & collect and deliveries.