Checkers is committed to providing you with fresh, good quality products. These meet very specific standards and requirements and are regularly checked by food technologists, so you can rest assured that the food you buy from any store is safe to eat. The following tips are for you to keep in mind once you're heading home with the nutritious and tasty food you've just bought from your nearest Checkers.

Make the shop your last stop before heading home so that you can place any products that need to stay cold in the refrigerator as soon as possible. Frozen foods should be put in the freezer if you're not planning on defrosting them for your next meal - be sure to read the instructions on the packet as many frozen products can be cooked without having to be thawed.

Most fruit and vegetables will stay fresher for longer if stored in a bag in the fridge. Bananas should also be stored in a bag, but rather in a fruit bowl in a cool place in your kitchen. Bananas are great for ripening other fruit, so keep them in the same bag with other fruit if you need them to ripen quickly. Potatoes should be kept in a cool dark place to prevent them from sprouting. If you're not going to eat your mangoes and pawpaws immediately, buy them before they are completely ripe and then store them in a bowl in your kitchen. You and your children will be more likely to eat fruit if you see it, so fill your fruit bowl with some of your fruit and make sure that the bowl is easily visible and reachable.

Ensure that your meat, poultry and fish are properly wrapped and stored on a separate shelf near the bottom of the fridge. Once opened, be sure to throw away the wrapping. If you've thawed the whole portion of your meat, rather cook all of it and store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge which you can just re-heat for another meal. This is far safer than refreezing any food only to defrost it again.

If you notice that the Best Before date is looming on a certain product which you've been meaning to use but forgot about, use it in your next meal, or cook it and store it again to use the following day. This way you use what you paid for and don't end up throwing out a whole lot of food unnecessarily.

Always use separate chopping boards and knives: one board and knife for raw meats, and another set for vegetables and fruits. Be sure to clean them and your hands thoroughly with hot soapy water after use. Also be sure to use clean utensils when dishing your cooked foods.

Make sure that the surfaces immediately around your food are also clean by wiping the counter with a damp cloth and cleaning agent. Cloths and sponges should also be properly cleaned after every use, and replaced every so often.

Most fruit and vegetables should be rinsed or wiped with a damp cloth before being used to remove any dirt that may have remained on them. Do not use any foods past their Best Before dates, any products in swollen, rusted or leaking tins or containers, or any foods that no longer smell fresh.

Be sure to use utensils, pans, pots and containers that are clean. Always make sure that your food is heated and cooked throughout whether you are using a pan, a pot, a microwave or an oven. If your food cannot be cooked from frozen (read the packaging), make sure that it's properly thawed in the refrigerator, in some water in the sink, or in your microwave if it has a defrost setting, before cooking it.

Don't put very hot leftovers in the fridge immediately - rather cover them and let them cool for a couple of minutes then place them in a sealed container which you can keep in the fridge. It's best if leftovers are heated only once and then eaten.

Customer feedback is always welcome. Please call the customer care line if you have any queries or are not entirely happy with the product you purchased.