The supermarket aisles can easily get your blood pressure soaring.
From screaming kids and out-of-control trolleys, to those that like to snack on their shopping before they’ve actually paid for it, there’s plenty to get irked about.
And now, another irritating habit has caused debate online — one which germaphobes may not like.
Coined by Metro, ‘aisle strokers’ are shoppers who like to squeeze, touch, fondle and generally manhandle the fruit, veg, or even pastries before finally choosing one to buy.
Whether they’re searching for the ripest avocado or a banana in perfect proportion, plenty of the items they’ve felt up end up getting left for the next customer (who is unaware the tomatoes they’re going to put in their salad are covered in someone else’s grubby fingerprints).
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This new term comes after trade publication, Talking Retail, revealed last year that customers touching surfaces or produce was the matter of ‘most concern’ (75%) for 1,900 surveyed consumers. What’s more, 9% even changed their regular store because of it.
How do people feel about aisle strokers?
Aisle strokers certainly get other shoppers’ blood boiling.
‘Stop touching everything with your filthy hands!’ begged Redditor @moodog16, while on a thread about annoying supermarket shoppers, @ziawitch declared ‘people sampling things with their bare hands,’ as the worst habit.
‘Some people still just don’t wash their fruit/veg when it’s just lying there for days having people touching it and whatever else,’ added @BrummbarKT, calling it ‘horrid’ behaviour.
Over on TikTok, @leocadiocifuentes13 claimed aisle stroking is ‘the sort of thing that will make us glare daggers at you,’ adding: ‘Nobody wants to eat something others have pawed at.’
Others shared the egregious produce patting they’d witnessed at their local shop, with one of the most shocking stories coming from @mvp_51, who recalled: ‘Just saw a lady at Lidl, every time before opening a paper bag, she licked her finger and used the same finger to grab pastries to put in the bag.’
Here at Metro HQ, aisle stroking sparked quite the debate too.
‘I would judge,’ Lifestyle Reporter Eleanor Noyce says, adding: ‘My only issue with dirty (loose) fruit is the prospect of unwashed hands touching it at the supermarket.
‘Potatoes I’m less bothered about because if I’m boiling them they’re getting washed anyway.’
Opinion and Analysis Editor, Ross McCafferty, says: ‘I’d be concerned for their mental wellbeing if they were walking round sniffing apples,’ while Sarah Bradbury, Junior Publisher, agrees, but adds: ‘I’d also look at their hands, finger nails and general presentation.’
Senior Lifestyle Reporter, Courtney Pochin, shares she recently ‘watched a man in Whole Foods ignore the tiny tongs for the cheese samples and shove his hand right in the bowl’, an experience that ‘pissed [her] right off.’
‘I absolutely hate people’s paws all over fruit, veg or bakery items that they then put back,’ echoes Editorial Manager & Soaps/Drama Editor Duncan Lindsay.
Meanwhile Sophie Laughton, Head of Newsletters, has resorted to using a plastic bag ‘as a glove to select produce.’
On the opposite side of the fence, Lifestyle Reporter, Charlie Sawyer says: ‘I’ve quite literally never considered that dirty fruit could hurt me.’
But it was Video Games Editor, David Jenkins’ thoughts that really caused controversy, as he admitted to the habit when it comes to potatoes: ‘I demand a very specific size and minimum level of bruising to make jacket potatoes and that often involves searching through a whole crate for the best ones. There are no tongs to save fellow shoppers when I do that.’
What do the experts think?
Pharmacist Thorrun Govind tells Metro: ‘From a hygiene perspective, repeatedly touching open food can transfer germs from hands to the food. I understand why this is something people notice.
‘It can increase the risk of minor contamination and is understandably off-putting for others.’
What is your opinion on ‘aisle stroking’ in supermarkets?
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I find it unhygienic and annoying.
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I think it’s acceptable to touch produce to check for quality.
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I don’t really mind either way.
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It depends on the type of produce or food being touched.
While the ‘level of concern’ is lower for items with protective skin like bananas, she warns aisle stroking the likes of bread, pastries or loose fruit carries ‘a small risk of transferring microorganisms from hands onto the food.’
‘These can include bacteria and viruses picked up from everyday surfaces such as phones, trolleys and door handles,’ Thorrun continues.
‘In some cases it could contribute to mild gastrointestinal illness; if someone has poor hand hygiene after using the toilet or while incubating norovirus they can transfer the virus onto food they handle.’
In her opinion, it’s ‘best practice’ to keep your hands away from food unless you intend to buy it, helping to ‘reduce unnecessary contamination and make the shopping experience more comfortable for everyone.’
Don’t worry too much about others’ habits though, as the expert adds: ‘For most healthy people the risk of serious illness from brief incidental touching is generally low.’
‘It’s generally not an issue but it’s definitely a bit yuck!’
When you get home, wash fruit and veg — even if it looks clean — and practise good hand hygiene to ‘reduce any remaining risk’.
Otherwise, Thorrun says it’s more a matter of ‘etiquette’ than anything else.
Other supermarket etiquette tips
The Kitchn shares its top tips for supermarket etiquette:
- Don’t leave a mess of the sections
- Put things back where they belong if you’ve changed your mind
- Don’t leave your cart in the middle of the aisle
- Don’t talk on the phone will at check out, instead greet your cashier
- Don’t drink and shop
- Return your cart to the designated area
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