Save the Planet, Kill Yourself

[Key Guy]

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs...ealth-risk.aspx

Quote:

Get out your bleach and launder those reusable fabric grocery bags after each use. You're not clogging up landfill with plastic throw-aways, but your environmental conscientiousness could make you sick.

A microbiological study — a first in North America — of the popular, eco-friendly bags has uncovered some unsettling facts. Swab-testing by two independent laboratories found unacceptably high levels of bacterial, yeast, mold and coliform counts in the reusable bags.

"The main risk is food poisoning," Dr. Richard Summerbell, research director at Toronto-based Sporometrics and former chief of medical mycology for the Ontario Ministry of Health, stated in a news release. Dr. Summerbell evaluated the study results.

"But other significant risks include skin infections such as bacterial boils, allergic reactions, triggering of asthma attacks, and ear infections," he stated.

The study found that 64% of the reusable bags tested were contaminated with some level of bacteria and close to 30% had elevated bacterial counts higher than what's considered safe for drinking water.

Further, 40% of the bags had yeast or mold, and some of the bags had an unacceptable presence of coliforms, faecal intestinal bacteria, when there should have been 0.

"The presence of faecal material in some of the reusable bags is particularly concerning," Dr. Summerbell stated. "All meat products should be individually wrapped before being placed in a reusable bag to prevent against leakage. This should become a mandated safety standard across the entire grocery industry."

Don't use your cloth grocery bags for toting gym clothes or diapers or anything but your groceries to prevent possible exposure to a superbug called community-acquired MRSA, a highly antibiotic-resistant form of a common infectious bacterium, Dr. Summerbell cautioned.

The study was funded by the Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC), an industry initiative to promote responsible use and recovery of plastic resources. EPIC is a committee of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association.

Conclusions from the study? This may have you gladly handing over the coins for plastic bags at the supermarket:

• The moist, dark, warm interior of a folded used reusable bag that has acquired a small amount of water and trace food contamination is an ideal incubator for bacteria.

• The strong presence of yeasts in some bags indicates the presence of water and microbial growth substrate (food).

• There is a potential for cross-contamination of food if the same reusable bags are used on successive trips.

• Check-out staff in stores may be transferring these microbes from reusable bag to reusable bag as the contaminants get on their hands.

• In cases of food poisoning, experts will have to test reusable bags in addition to food products as the possible sources of contamination.

Next steps? The study has been sent to the federal Sub-Committee on Food Safety currently investigating the safety of Canada's food system, federal and provincial health ministers and medical organizations across Canada with a request for immediate action.

[Outta Here]

Interesting article. This is why I carefully use these bags. Each is designated for certain items only: boxed dry goods in one, fruit and vegetables in another, frozen foods in one, et cetera. Fresh meats go in a plastic bag that gets recycled; bread and eggs go in a paper bag that gets reused, then recycled.

A little careful use and consideration can go a long way.

[Outta Here]

Yeah...well, what can I say? We're germ-a-phobes here. :)

[Key Guy]

Interesting article. This is why I carefully use these bags. Each is designated for certain items only: boxed dry goods in one, fruit and vegetables in another, frozen foods in one, et cetera. Fresh meats go in a plastic bag that gets recycled; bread and eggs go in a paper bag that gets reused, then recycled.

A little careful use and consideration can go a long way.

I think that would have to be the method to use to reduce the risk when using these bags.

[aldona]

Quote:

The study was funded by the Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC), an industry initiative to promote responsible use and recovery of plastic resources. EPIC is a committee of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association.

I don't think much more needs to be said.

(sorry...that's kind of a reflex action with me...whenever I read a medical article I skip right to the section that states what drug company the author is paid by)

What kind of idiots do these people think the public is? Who places unwrapped pieces of meat directly into a reusable bag? Do folks not wash their fruit and vegetables before eating?

How did the human race ever survive before plastic bags were invented? Did our grandparents walk home ten miles uphill in the snow from the market with a piece of steak and a dozen eggs in their bare hands?

I've been using reusable bags for a while now and I love the way the kitchen cupboards etc. are not cluttered with hundreds of plastic bags. Now THAT's got to be good for food hygiene and health.

aldona

[Derrell M]

How did the human race ever survive before plastic bags were invented? Did our grandparents walk home ten miles uphill in the snow from the market with a piece of steak and a dozen eggs in their bare hands?

Lol! No, they walked 10 miles uphill (both ways) in the snow with a big burlap sack that was itchy and scratchy and smelled like chicken doodoo. They butchered their own meat and collected the eggs out of their own henhouses. Of course they didn't have refrigerators for storage or clorox for sanitizing so they died horribly of salmonella. But not before having to avail themselves of the outhouse where there was no sink to wash their hands... How did the human race ever survive!

[GreatLakesGramma]

I have been using canvas grocery bags for almost 30 years. No mold or mildew has ever grown in any of my bags. I do not put them away wet - that's insane. If anything gets in or on them that could spoil, or is toxic, I wash them. I don't buy meat.

And who in their right mind would carry dirty diapers in a bag and then use it for groceries?

[Derrell M]

And who in their right mind would carry dirty diapers in a bag and then use it for groceries?

[Dottie]

Aubrey - -

Hoe do you make sure that each is separated that way? Are they labeled on the outside? Do you bag your groceries yourself?

My biggest problem is that the baggers at the store always put all the heavy things in one bag, which then has to be rebagged when I get home so that I can carry the purchases into the house.

[Outta Here]

I do bag all my own groceries. The only thing the checker does is scan the goods (sometimes I even do that on the self-checkout lanes).

Boxed goods go in the black bags.

Fruits and veg go in the green bags.

Frozen goods go in the blue bag.

[Dottie]

The store I go to has baggers who load the bags and push the carts to the car and unload them into one's truck. There is a sign that indicates that the customer is not to give the baggers any tips. The food is good, the quality is good, the store is always kept clean, there are specialized foods both for health and ethnic reasons. I wouldn't give that up just to bag my own groceries.

[Outta Here]

Hmm. Sounds just like the store I go to--except we bag our own groceries.

You could probably label your bags--just the labels alone might "instruct" your baggers as to how you want the items bagged.

[Dottie]

Thanx, Aubrey

[Key Guy]

You could probably label your bags--just the labels alone might "instruct" your baggers as to how you want the items bagged.

Oh! Your baggers read? Nice. Our baggers read, too. Just not English.

[Planey]

Quote:

Save the Planet, Kill Yourself

Don't know about saving the planet, but for some people this would certainly raise the average intelligence level of their neighbourhood.

Graeme

[Outta Here]

Originally Posted By: Aubrey

You could probably label your bags--just the labels alone might "instruct" your baggers as to how you want the items bagged.

Oh! Your baggers read? Nice. Our baggers read, too. Just not English.

Please explain the intent of this post.

[Key Guy]

Originally Posted By: timewarp

Oh! Your baggers read? Nice. Our baggers read' date=' too. Just not English. [/quote']

Please explain the intent of this post.

We have a lot of people working on this island that do not read/write/understand/speak English. As a result, there are many, I mean many mistakes made here that cost us in lost time, money, quality of a project, and even bad feelings from simple misunderstandings. I can see why the Tower of Babel became a mess.

The intent of the post... I was poking fun at our non-English-speaking baggers.

[Derrell M]

Oh! Your baggers read? Nice. Our baggers read, too. Just not English.

Lol! You must live here in California.

[Outta Here]

The intent of the post... I was poking fun at our non-English-speaking baggers.

That's a refreshingly honest answer. I appreciate your honesty. Not sure if the baggers would appreciate the comment, however.