Instacart vs. the grocery store: Surprising reason one is much better for your family’s safety

July 27, 2021

By Kim Komando

Online shopping has seen a dramatic rise during the pandemic. People took to the internet to get what they need, especially when brick and mortar shops were closed and essentials were harder to come by.

Buying groceries online has never been easier, as you have many choices of vendors and a seemingly limitless selection of food. Tap or click here for help on narrowing down your choices and how to safely handle food deliveries.

If you’re still on the fence about buying groceries online, our own Kim Komando had a recent positive experience with Instacart that might help you make a decision. Check out the full story below.

Kim’s story

Kim’s mother is sick and undergoing chemotherapy. Research has shown that carrots may possess cancer-fighting properties. In addition, carrots are recommended to chemo patients as a good source of nutrition and possibly improving treatment.

Kim added carrots to her virtual Instacart shopping cart, along with other groceries. She then got an email from Instacart that those carrots were part of a recall. The email read:

“One or more products you recently purchased through Instacart may be included in a product recall. For more information about the recall and return options, please see the link below: www.fda.gov. If you purchased these products for someone else, please provide them the information from this email.”

The FDA link provided details of the recall, including the reason for it (possible salmonella contamination) and instructions for consumers regarding what to do with the carrots and who to contact.

Recall notice and followup

Though you may see a notice from the FDA or other governing body regarding a food recall, it may not always arrive on time. You usually have to seek it out yourself. The FDA has a page where you can browse recalls by type: fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts.

Instacart monitors these product recalls and reaches out to customers who purchased the potentially affected products.

If you have questions or concerns about a product, these are good resources in addition to the FDA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and FoodSafety.gov.

A recent recall involved a clothing steamer that carried a high risk of burn injury. Tap or click here for details and make sure you don’t have one of these in your home.

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