Talking Allergies

Now I never shop in the bulk bins but I was walking past the bins to pick up a bag of potatoes when I just happened to notice I was walking over crushed nuts of some kind
The bins are nasty to begin with allergies or not. But to be crushing them into my shoes that is a way to feel contaminated.

Then, Then went to another store only to have the cashier touch all my items with "lovely" hand lotion that she must have just put on only to have contaminated all my items. After I loaded my vehicle I went back in to wash my hands! Her "lovely" scent, coconut!

This has happened to me before and I wonder if I should be saying something Oh and by the way why Oh why would someone want to smell a COCONUT!

venting done

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Me-Allergic to Peanut, Tree Nut, Coconut, Shellfish, ASA and Asthma
My Husband and Children No Allergies

Yeah, I hear you. I don't buy bulk either, but do have to walk past it sometimes and hate the fact that there is often bits of almonds or whatever crushed on the floor. Also, I don't see why they have to have bulk bins of peanuts/nuts in NON bulk sections, like next to the produce? Another reason not to take the kids grocery shopping. . .

I would be annoyed too, if someone with offensive cream all over their hands was touching my food. I guess there's the option of doing 'self serve checkout' if it's available. We have this option at Superstores near us and I guess it would lessen the risk of people touching your food after handling who knows what, and also the conveyor belt with who knows what on it.

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DD 2004 Allergy to peanuts, egg, sesame, and new: lentils and chick peas
DS 2006 Allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, kiwi fruit, eczema

Ack! How annoying!
You might want to write a quick note about the state of the floors-that's a hygiene issue. They're bound to attract pests.

Not sure what to do about the cashier, you could ask for a scent free environment but good luck, actually this way you at least know things are contaminated. You might as well consider that anything placed on the conveyor belt is probably contaminated. How many people pick up a tomato or move it aside to get to another one?

What can you do? Place all produce in plastic bags, wash before using. Remove shoes at front door.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

I am sure the store is frustrated with the stuff on the floor. They must be thinking why can't people be more careful. Then they have to spend time cleaning dumped mess on floor.

I know the cashiers probably all put some kind of hand lotion all the time, I get that, I just hate when I am half way through when I realize they just happen to be wearing what I am allergic to. I think it is impossible to control. I get flower type lotions still don't get people wanting to smell like a coconut.

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Me-Allergic to Peanut, Tree Nut, Coconut, Shellfish, ASA and Asthma
My Husband and Children No Allergies

I think the coconut smell is appealing to those who equate it with a tropical holiday (think sunscreen).

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DD 2004 Allergy to peanuts, egg, sesame, and new: lentils and chick peas
DS 2006 Allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, kiwi fruit, eczema

O.K. I can get that Allison. I have moved spots on the beach or at the pool because of sun screen that smelled like coconut. My brain just goes to gross but I guess that makes sense. Even if I don't like it never thought of it that way.

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Me-Allergic to Peanut, Tree Nut, Coconut, Shellfish, ASA and Asthma
My Husband and Children No Allergies

Personally I get super grossed out with the bulk food and freak out anytime I see the destruction all over the floor when I am out with my fiance. I noticed that some of the newer safeways are getting a different system to control the bulk bins (you pull on a noob and your produce falls into your bag) instead of people using scoops. Still, bulk bins have always made me cringe.

As for the hand lotion, as a former grocery store cashier the hand lotion is actually often provided by the front end supervisor/management. This is because your hands get super gross and dry for all the cash handlings. So I recommend speaking with them, as those things are usually provided by the store and not the cashier themselves, perhaps recommend something else in leu of what they are using.

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Moi: Pineapples, Turkey and Asthma.
Fiance: Ana. to Dairy, Eggs, Peanuts/Nuts and Horse. Also has asthma.

My allergist told me to avoid bulk food stores like the plague! There is no control over x-contamination and I've even seen people using their hands to paw through the bins in their quest to find the "perfect" specimen!

Open vege and fruit bins at the grocery store: everything that comes into our house gets scrubbed and washed thoroughly. As I've said to the kids, I've touched it. Who else has? And they use their bare hands, there's no telling what they've touched beforehand (i.e. peas, peanuts, etc.) .

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CracklinRosi

Allergic to peanuts, peas, cats, dust, ragweed, trees & grass (pollen season)
Toxic reaction to crustaceans.

I've seen a person pick up a pear, sneeze on it and put it down again!
This was years before I became a member of the Epipen carrying club.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Just on the fruit/vege open faced coolers at the grocery store: who would have thought that someone would actually physically go through bags of grapes (that are on sale at No Frills right now), remove bunches of bad grapes, and replace them with good bunches of grapes from other bags of grapes?

Yeah, I don't think I'll be buying fruits and veges like that anymore.

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CracklinRosi

Allergic to peanuts, peas, cats, dust, ragweed, trees & grass (pollen season)
Toxic reaction to crustaceans.