Asda has outlined new measures on its website, in which it asks that customers only pick up items from the shelves if they intend to buy them.

And an Aldi spokeswoman has said that staff in their stores may ask that customers only touch trolleys if they are going to use them, according to reports.

It’s not clear if other supermarkets have this particular rule, though Tesco told Mirror Money that although no such policy is currently in place.

But it added that customers can wipe down trolleys at cleaning points in the shop before they are used.

Other measures, such as priority opening hours for health workers, purchase limits on certain items and the closure of some fresh food counters, are still widely in place across many supermarkets.

Retailers have been updating their websites with the latest changes that they’ve made to the way they operate.

A spokesperson for Asda told Mirror Money that despite the new advice for customers on not touching anything that they aren’t going to buy, customers will not be forced to buy anything that they do touch by accident.

It isn’t clear what customers should do in the event that they need to pick up an item to check for allergens or other ingredient information, however.

READ MORE: Food storage tips: How to keep your food fresher for longer

Meanwhile, Aldi last week launched a new service selling food parcels on its website that contain items designed to support people who are self-isolating.

The parcels, which cost £24.99, are said to include high-demand items such as antibacterial handwash, toilet paper and pasta.

It also includes long-life items such as tinned soups and UHT milk.

The move follows the launch of similar initiatives from competing stores Morrisons and Marks & Spencer.

The parcels can be purchased from Aldi’s website here, though the site is down for maintenance at the time of writing.

Shoppers should also be warned that the parcels are fairly heavy – something to bear in mind if ordering for someone who has affected mobility or is elderly.

The spread of Covid-19 in supermarkets has been addressed by scientists and the World Health Organisation since the pandemic began.

The WHO states that there is currently no confirmed case of Covid-19 having been transmitted through food or food packaging.

But it advises that shoppers thoroughly wash their hands once they get home after having handled and stored their items.

And a group of Finnish researchers who used computer modelling to study a scenario in which someone coughed in a shopping aisle concluded that airborne particles carrying Covid-19 could stay in the air for longer than previously thought.