It seems these days everyone is trying to reduce waste, and reusable grocery bags are more popular than ever. But some warn if these bags aren't properly cared for, they could put your family's health at risk.
When it comes to bagging groceries, Paco Diaz and his family skip the plastic and bring their own reusable bags to the store instead.
"We feel like we're contributing towards a healthier environment," says Diaz.
But could saving the environment be endangering your family's health? Food safety expert Lisa Berger says reusable bags can become a breeding ground for bacteria.
"A lot of times the bags can become contaminated with different types of bacteria such as coliform or e.coli," says Lisa Berger, Food Safety Consultant for
Berger Food Safety Consulting.
Infection from these can cause stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea. Mindy Brashears, Director of the
International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech University, put reusable bags to the test. She and her team tested 11 bags, eight used and three brand new.
"Coliforms and generic e.coli are things that we look for, as scientists, that indicate some kind of contamination has occurred," says Brashears.
While their tests found no evidence of contamination in the control bags, half of the used bags indicated coliform contamination. And 25 percent of the used bags tested positive for generic e.coli contamination.
"They were probably used to carry fruits and vegetables - perhaps they were un-bagged - or it could have been some type of animal product, whether it be dairy products, eggs or meat product," says Brashears.
Are you worried? Well, don't toss your bags just yet. Berger says there are some easy ways to keep the germs at bay.
First, designate certain bags for meat and others for produce and ready-to-eat foods to avoid cross contamination.
"Because they are raw products, the bacteria such as e-coli, possibly salmonella, can contaminate these bags and then later can contaminate other fruits and vegetables that are placed in these bags," says Berger.
Second, wash the bags regularly, either by machine or by hand.
"Some of these bags also have a plastic coating on the bottom which can be removed and either put in a dishwashing machine or washed and sanitized using a bleach solution or some other sanitizer wipes," says Berger.
Third, dry them properly and store them in a clean place, away from animals and plants.
"Take care of these bags, and just remember treat them like any other utensil you would use to touch your food and use a little bit of common sense in keeping those clean and it will go along way into protecting the consumer," says Brashears.
Paco was shocked to learn the bags he used were contaminated and says he'll be washing them regularly from now on.
"I was surprised to have a bag that was incredibly filthy! Or just had tons of germs, that was surprising," says Diaz.
While the
Centers for Disease Control says there have been no reported outbreaks of bag related illnesses, food experts say it's often tough to pinpoint just where a food illness stems from. They urge people to take proper precautions when using recyclable bags.
