Study Labels Reusable Bags as Possible Health Risk
A recently released microbiological study of reusable shopping bags, the first study of its kind in North America, warns of the risks that unclean reusable bags can have on human health.
The study was commissioned and funded by the Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC), a Canadian industry group which promotes responsible use and recovery of plastic resources. EPIC is a committee of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association.
The 15-page study releases the findings of two independent testing laboratories, showing that unclean reusable bags can pose a public health risk due to high levels of mold, bacteria and yeast present in the samples. Some of the findings include:
In an Earth911 poll, 50 percent of readers said their favorite way to go green was shopping with a reusable bag. Photo: Fredmeyer.com
- Sixty four percent of the tested reusable bags were contaminated with some level of bacteria and nearly 30 percent had bacterial counts higher than what is considered safe for drinking water.
- Forty percent of the bags contained the presence of yeast or mold.
- Some of the sampled bags contained unsafe levels of coliforms and fecal intestinal bacteria.
Possible sources of contamination may include improperly wrapped meats, spilled liquids or perishable food items and using the bag for non-food-related purposes, such as trips to the gym or as a diaper bag.
Though results of the study may cause alarm, proper care of the bags and responsible use will likely eliminate the studies concerns. As is with anything reusable and washable, the bags should be washed and cared for between uses to decrease the likelihood of bacterial contamination.
Dr. Richard Summerbell, research director at Toronto-based Sporometrics, an environmental microbiology laboratory that evaluated the study results, recommends you treat the reusable bags like a kitchen cutting board, which is also exposed to food and can become a source of harmful micro-organisms.
The study has been sent to the Canadian Sub-Committe on Food Safety for review.
- The Environment and Plastics Industry Council http://www.cpia.ca/epic/.
- Bill Mah. "Soiled, reusable shopping bags pose health risk: Plastic industry" Times Colonist http://www.timescolonist.com/Health/Soiled+reusable+shopping+bags+pose+health+risk+Plastic+industry/1615972/story.html.
Sean Thomes
posted on June 2nd, 2009 at 8:19 am
gosh, a study by a plastic bag trade association found reusable bags to be “hazardous”
shocking, just shocking.
Paul
posted on June 2nd, 2009 at 8:28 am
The contamination more than likely came from the food sitting in a filthy shopping cart, then after this exposure, being placed into the reusable bags.
Study Labels Reusable Bags as Possible Health Risk « Interesting finds
posted on June 2nd, 2009 at 9:29 am
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Athena
posted on June 2nd, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Make or purchase your own cloth bags or reuse the paper bags. If you reuse paper bags they give you 6 cents every time you bring a bag back. Except for Walmart they give you nothing!
Whole Foods does not use the plastic bags and Ikea charges you to take a bag. I just have gotten use to taking my own and if I forget I use the cart to get it to the car and then when I get home I bring the bags out to the car.
We have to do what we can to save the earth and ourselves.
bernie masters
posted on June 2nd, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Most of these reusable bags are made from plastic, so this study may not be an attempt to find reasons why the free disposable plastic bags against which the world has been campaigning over recent years should continue to be given away. This finding is not dissimilar to the situation facing people who collect rainwater for potable use as a way of being more ‘;sustainable’: spend a heap of money on a product that makes little economic sense and face increased health risks.
Susan
posted on June 3rd, 2009 at 7:08 am
Well… if you wash the reusable bags frequently, that should take care of the problem. I always wash my bags from Green Chic Bag Company after I use them for produce and/or meats. Most food is packaged and you should always wash your produce before eating.
http://www.GreenChicBagCo.com
Phil
posted on June 10th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
I think that this study should also be done by a company that makes reusable shopping bags… I think the out come will be slightly different. Even so, the benefits and costs of using these bags most likely still out weigh the same for plastic bags. I know it is common for meats to leak and milk always seems to be a little nasty on a warm day, but like others have said wash your bag! I don’t use these reusable bags but I use the plastic bags I get as trash bags in my bedroom. If everyone does a little something to help the environment we will some day make a difference if it has not already been felt.
Di
posted on June 14th, 2009 at 10:00 am
No creo que esté de más lavar las bolsas de tela es la única solución, mejor que usar toneladas de bolsas de plástico.
Liz
posted on June 27th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I hope they didn’t spend too much on that study. Common sense would tell you anything that touches raw meat is a concern. Since I have no desire to wash my bags every time I use them, I always ask for a paper bag for my meats. Seems like the lesser of two evils. I use reusable bags for everything else though. Another option is to mark one reusable bag for meats and make sure the bagger only puts meats in that one bag. (Good luck with that.)
Other than meat I’m not that concerned about food residue left on my bags. Most everything is wrapped or packaged in some way. I save and reuse my plastic produce bags so very little food even comes in contact with the inside of my bags. Unless you’re in the habit of buying rotten, smushy, leaky fruit, it seems a little germ-phobic to be concerned that your apples might touch a spot where your bananas were.
vicki stiling
posted on July 8th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
If your ‘reusable’ bag is not made from cotton or canvas it is most like made from some sort of plastic polymer and made in Asia and shipped to the USA. Most of the Asian manufacturing companies use water based inks that release VOC’s into the atmospere. I have washed bags made from Non Woven Polypopylene only to have the ink flake off in the machine and get all over my clothes. I have read a study that 40% of the reusable also contain lead and chormium which is banned in at leat 22 states – remember Mattel toys last year. Get a grip people use plastic bag or paper if you must and recycle!