A grey area in rules of society in the grocery store

So at what point is one committed to buying produce at the grocery store?

Tonight I was shopping.  I was buying apples.  I was about to drop one in my bag, when I felt an ugly spot on the apple.  I had missed this on my visual inspection; somehow my grip changed when I was putting it in the bag and I felt it, and realized, I have a bad apple.  My question is, am I committed to buying it at this point.

I don't know the rules of society for this situation.  My hand was still on the apple; so just like checkers, I figure the move isn't done - my hand is still on the piece.  But my hand was inside the bag, which I think may constitute an ownership situation.  It was within a container I would take home.  Had my hand still been outside the bag, I wouldn't have taken it.  But because I was about to release in the bag, I felt like I had crossed a line, and I had to buy.

I think my decision was influenced because this was a perishable item I was handling.  I don't feel this way with cereal or other dry goods.  I take those in an out of my bag all the time; I am like a hermit crab spreading my booty throughout the store.  But perishable items - fruits, vegetables, anything coming from behind the counter.... I feel an implied sense of ownership.  I don't know why.  Maybe because there is less protective packaging, so I can't tell if anyone has tampered or touched it, which they invariably have.

Now that is a disquieting thought.... how many other people have touched this apple before it got to me?  5?  10?  100?  I figured at least 5 people - one who picked it, one who sorted and shipped it, one person at the wholesaler who shipped it to this store, one person at the store who put the tag on it, and me.  Could be lots more.  And is it just me, or does the job of putting the individual sticker on each fruit or vegetable item seem like the job only filled by boys who go to Catholic High Schools?  Something about it seems like penance to me.   Your own slice of hell on earth.

Anyway, I took home my apple with the bad spot and cut around it, happy in the knowledge that I prevented the unnecessary touching of fruit by another human being.

Happy shopping