Reusing shopping bags may be good for the environment but harmful to your health.
Those handy woven polypropylene bags that can be squeezed small and tucked into a purse can become a comfy home for coliform bacteria and even e-coli, according to researchers in California and Arizona.
Coliform bacteria occur in fecal material and raw meat, toilet bowls, kitchen sinks where raw meat is cleaned and in sink sponges, according to researcher Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona at Tucson. An indicator of unsanitary conditions, coliform bacteria was found in half of the bags tested. E-coli were found in 12 per cent of the bags.
“You’re always gambling with germs and the whole idea is to keep the odds in your favour and not in the germs’ favour. If you don’t maintain these bags, you’re giving the germs a chance to get exposure,” says Gerba.
A simple wash with soap after use is all that’s needed to maintain the bags, but only three per cent of people reported ever cleaning them, according to the study, which examined 84 bags collected at three locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tucson.
Only 25 per cent of people reported separating vegetables from raw meat when they fill their bags. Thirty per cent used the bags for other purposes, including books, clothes, snacks, biking supplies and books.
“I haven’t allowed my wife to use reusable bags except for non-grocery items,” says Gerba. “People haul laundry, socks, and pets in them; I couldn’t believe the things people use these bags for. Then they throw their broccoli in it.”
The research was funded by the American Chemistry Council, which represents plastics manufacturers, says Gerba.
In May 2009, a Canadian study sounded the alarm over using bags to transport athletic wear and groceries, saying the practice could spread an antibiotic-resistant form of bacterium, MRSA, the so-called superbug that first surfaced in hospital settings.
According to Health Canada, there are 11 million cases of food-related illnesses in Canada every year. Many of these illnesses could be prevented by following proper food handling and preparation techniques.
In June, Health Canada issued a release reminding Canadians to wash bins and bags frequently. It pointed out the bins can also pick up bacteria from the ground or the back of the car.
It recommended keeping fresh or frozen raw meat, poultry and fish separate from fresh produce and other ready-to-eat foods.
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