9/27/2010

People getting sick from reusable grocery bags?

I disagree about these bags being good for the environment, so I guess using these bags is 0 for 2. Plus you could add in the costs of inconvenience and time to take these bags with you. The bacteria count is here:

They are good for the environment, but reusable grocery bags are also a breeding ground for bacteria.
Many responsible shoppers carefully choose their groceries and put them into the same cloth or plastic bags over and over again on every trip to the store.
“Did you ever wash your grocery bags?” asked Call7 Investigator Theresa Marchetta. . . .
The CALL7 Investigators tested several reusable bags used by 7NEWS colleagues and another from a woman going into a Denver grocery store.
Marchetta brought the lab results to Dr. Michelle Barron, the infectious disease expert at the University of Colorado Hospital.
"Wow. Wow. That is pretty impressive," said Barron.
Barron examines lab results for a living.
"Oh my goodness! This is definitely the highest count," Barron commented while looking at the bacteria count numbers.
She admitted she was shocked at what was found at the bottom of the bags.
"We're talking in the million range of bacteria," she said. . . .

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2 Comments:

Blogger Tim Bolin said...

so people think they can repeatedly stuff food in a bag, and not have to, i dunno, WASH it at least occasionally??

reusable bags may help the environment... but there's no help for stupid.

9/27/2010 9:47 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi, John.
While I am flattered you linked to my story, you missed the point. The story was not a commentary on the use of re-usable grocery bags. In fact, I use them all the time and encourage others to do so. Since many people are using them more often, some for the first time, they may not think about how dirty they get. Our story makes people aware of the dirt and germs you can't see, and risks associated with them, so they can take the necessary precautions. By wiping out the bags with bleach wipes or washing them regularly, you've eliminated the risk to your family while sparing your local landfill.
Theresa Marchetta, 7News Anchor/Call7 Investigator

9/28/2010 4:42 PM  

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