Totes, Re-Usable Grocery Bags, Call Them What You Want – Just Wash Them!

Hands up if you have re-usable grocery bags that you’ve never washed.

Don’t worry, I’m guilty too.

In fact I probably have more re-usable bags that have never been washed than bags that have. But after reading this you’ll probably go home and wash every one you own.

Yes, re-using grocery totes is a great way to keep plastic bags out of our landfills but those cloth bags could give you food poisoning. A survey done by the Home Food Safety Program found that less than 15% of shoppers wash their re-usable bags and those bags can be a breeding ground for salmonella, listeria, E. Coli and a slew of other dangerous pathogens.

What kinds of things can these bacteria do to you? You could experience things like flu-like symptoms, fever and muscle aches, loss of balance, convulsions, severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, even miscarriage or stillbirth. Some infections can be very mild, others can be severe or even fatal.

"Death by grocery bag" is not an ideal statement for your headstone.

Unwashed grocery bags are lingering with bacteria which can easily contaminate your foods.

You can get some nasty cross-contamination when juices from raw meats or other germy substances come in contact with cooked or ready-to-eat foods.

Basically, the raw chicken juice dripping into your bag gets on the fresh loaf of bread and the apples you toss in on your next shopping trip. Said chicken juice (all all sorts of bacteria) is now all over your bread and apples, which are most likely headed right for your gullet.

So, how do you keep your totes clean and your food more safe? According to Eatright.org you should:

• Wash totes frequently in the washing machine or by hand with hot, soapy water.
• Clean all areas where totes are placed, such as the kitchen counter.
• Store totes in a clean, dry location.
• Avoiding leaving empty totes in the trunk of a vehicle.

Another piece of good advice from them is to wrap your meat, poultry and fish in plastic bags before placing them in totes. And to use two different totes; one for raw meat and one for ready-to-eat foods.

So, you have your re-usable tote, you can pat yourself on the back from trying to keep waste out of landfills. But for the love of everything...wash those things!

Food poisoning is not a fun thing…

[EatRight.org]

Picture by Stacey Huggins, Flickr.