Reusable grocery bags..pose health risk

**Sundae** · 06-26-2010, 12:39 PM

"Researchers randomly tested reusable grocery bags carried by shoppers in Tucson, Los Angeles and San Francisco and found more than 50 percent were contaminated with bacteria, including E.coli. They also found that consumers were almost completely unaware of the need to regularly wash their bags. Of the California and Arizona shoppers interviewed, 97 percent said they do not wash their bags at all.
"Our findings suggest a serious threat to public health, especially from coliform bacteria including E.coli, which were detected in half of the bags sampled," said Charles Gerba, a UA professor of environmental science and co-author of the study."

Bags need to be washed and the repeated use of soaps and water negate the advantage of the bags. It takes energy to pump water, heat water and the soaps pollute.

1. I wonder how much we taxpayers paid for the researchers to do their study? One or two annual salaries at a prestigious university?

2. How many documented deaths related to reusable grocery bags? Or at the least a serious outbreak of illness?

3. When will the "program" to turn in your reusable bags be implemented and at what cost?

4. What WOULD we do without the government telling us what is or is not good for us?

**Dancing Lotus** · 06-26-2010, 01:00 PM

This is so stupid. Before the advent of grocery bags what do people think we used? We used cloth bags and baskets. Of course they need to be washed on occasion, and if you have meat they need to be in plastic or a separate bag that you only use for meat and wash every time.

And no washing them does not negate the purpose. For starters most people would just put them in with a load of regular wash.
Not to mention if they want to talk about the pollutions of soap then lets talk about the pollutions of making plastic as well as recycling it. That's the real pollution in my opinion.

There are no perfect solutions but that doesn't mean we should do nothing.

**frugalfranny** · 06-26-2010, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Sundae

They also found that consumers were almost completely unaware of the need to regularly wash their bags.

4. What WOULD we do without the government telling us what is or is not good for us?

I had heard this 'tidbit'...........but I can't TRULY believe that consumers are this stupid.........what we 'need' to do and what we ACTUALLY do, though, can be two different things.

I don't recall that it was a gov't research..........wasn't it one of the consumer groups?.........and these are not always funded by the gov't.

If we did everything we have been warned about.......wouldn't be eating much produce.......bar-b-q.......bacon/pork --beef --eggs---chicken----and on and on and on.............

**Gabe** · 06-26-2010, 02:02 PM

Who is actually sponsoring this research??
The plastic industry... LOL

Bacteria May Grow In Reusable Grocery Bags, But Don't Fret : NPR

**frugalfranny** · 06-26-2010, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by Gabe

Who is actually sponsoring this research??
The plastic industry... LOL

Bacteria May Grow In Reusable Grocery Bags, But Don't Fret : NPR

FIGURES!

I have been wondering how come the 'replacing plastic bags' issue sort of died here a year or so ago..........they probably now have their hands in the legis. pockets..........as it was a real hot button issue!! The stores were going to charge 5 cents for each plastic bag!

This.....from a state that doesn't have a 'fee' YET for plastic bottles or cans!!

**greekislandgirl** · 06-26-2010, 02:16 PM

Actually, I needed the reminder to wash my reusable bags, so that was good.

That said, of course they'll just go in the regular wash, in no way will they lead to use of more soap or water, we do one load of laundry per week (for the two of us) and that is not going to change if I wash one or two reusable grocery bags.

We do sometimes opt to get the plastic bags because we use them in our kitchen and bathroom trash cans. We haven't bought trash bags in years. We have those small trash cans so we don't need the big bags, and the plastic grocery bags are perfect. Luckily ALL plastic grocery bags in Europe are biodegradable so at least there's that. Of course it is not good for the environment to PRODUCE them but at least they do break down eventually.

My husband didn't have reusable bags until I gave him some of mine a few months ago so he had stockpiled dozens of plastic bags which we've been using for trash. I think next year we'll just get them as we need them.

**Luckybustert** · 06-26-2010, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by frugalfranny

I had heard this 'tidbit'...........but I can't TRULY believe that consumers are this stupid.........what we 'need' to do and what we ACTUALLY do, though, can be two different things.

I don't recall that it was a gov't research..........wasn't it one of the consumer groups?.........and these are not always funded by the gov't.

If we did everything we have been warned about.......wouldn't be eating much produce.......bar-b-q.......bacon/pork --beef --eggs---chicken----and on and on and on.............

Oh but they do think we're that stupid. They have to "save us from ourselves", don't ya know?!

I think the need to wash cloth bags is pretty much common sense, especially if it's coming in contact with food, but seeing how common sense isn't always so common, maybe it's a good reminder.

**NikoSan999** · 06-26-2010, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by frugalfranny

If we did everything we have been warned about.......wouldn't be eating much produce.......bar-b-q.......bacon/pork --beef --eggs---chicken----and on and on and on.............

The water, the air, the soil...and the list goes on. The government wants to believe we need to be saved from ourselves.
Our news had a big to do about some city in New York about 2 months ago. Salt in every restaurant whether it be fast food or big ticket, expensive was outlawed. No salt in any restaurant. Customers had to bring their own.
Bull

**Luckybustert** · 06-26-2010, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by NikoSan999

The water, the air, the soil...and the list goes on. The government wants to believe we need to be saved from ourselves.
Our news had a big to do about some city in New York about 2 months ago. Salt in every restaurant whether it be fast food or big ticket, expensive was outlawed. No salt in any restaurant. Customers had to bring their own.
Bull

Never mind that your body actually needs a certain amount of salt....let's just cut it out altogether! Who's the Einstein that introduced that piece of legislation?

**Luckybustert** · 06-26-2010, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by Gabe

Who is actually sponsoring this research??
The plastic industry... LOL

Bacteria May Grow In Reusable Grocery Bags, But Don't Fret : NPR

No doubt. Follow the money trail....who stands to benefit?

**NikoSan999** · 06-26-2010, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by Luckybustert

Never mind that your body actually needs a certain amount of salt....let's just cut it out altogether! Who's the Einstein that introduced that piece of legislation?

Don't remember and could possibly be the town itself whoever the "ruler" is. But I seem to remember it was a good size city. But this is just to much. I mean, this isn't a case of TELLING you what is good for you or NOT good for you. This city is CONTROLLING what you eat.

K, binged it and found one article...sending link..hope it works..passed March and apparently it all of New York..several links and all worth reading. If this has happened there it won't take long to spread

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/loca...d-20100310-akd

Gandhi's ghost: New bill makes salt illegal in New York restaurants?

**Luckybustert** · 06-26-2010, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by NikoSan999

Don't remember and could possibly be the town itself whoever the "ruler" is. But I seem to remember it was a good size city. But this is just to much. I mean, this isn't a case of TELLING you what is good for you or NOT good for you. This city is CONTROLLING what you eat.

K, binged it and found one article...sending link..hope it works..passed March and apparently it all of New York..several links and all worth reading. If this has happened there it won't take long to spread

Chefs Call Proposed New York Salt Ban 'Absurd'

Gandhi's ghost: New bill makes salt illegal in New York restaurants?

Thanks for the link to the article. I am very much against government intervention in our lives, and especially so to this extent. I'm also wondering whether this means the restaurants cannot use commercially-prepared/processed ingredients in their dishes.....after all, processed foods are a major source of salt in the diet.

**NikoSan999** · 06-26-2010, 03:57 PM

Good question LB. Made me stop and think. I started a thread under General Chat about this. I'm really curious about what others feel about government control over what you eat.

But that's a good question. No more canned corn at the corner buffet bar. No pizza on the bar ( sauce, cheese etc )
This will seriously hurt the non homemade from scratch restaurants. Which is most of them.
And we know if this happens in New York it will spread like wildfire for EVERYONEs good. Reasoning will be to cut insurance costs.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 06-26-2010, 07:04 PM

If people reuse their grocery bags and don't wash them, it's on them. It doesn't take a genius to realize that those packages of chicken, pork, beef, etc are going to leak and soak into the fabric of the bag. I wash my cloth bags every weekend after I go shopping. As for the reusable plastic ones that I have, I use those for heavier items like cans and jars.

People just have to learn to use their brain for themselves.