Long Beach grocery shoppers use their reusable bags to carry fruits, vegetables, and breads, though they could also carry something else – bacteria.
Repeated trips to the grocery store can dirty the eco-friendly bags, and the bacteria gathered on the bags could lead to foodborne illness for the shoppers who use them, according to California Department of Public Health.
Long Beach banned plastic bags from commercial use in grocery stores and big retailers in 2011, encouraging shoppers to instead use reusable bags, according to the Los Angeles Times.
However, while reusable bags are beneficial for the environment, they can also lead to safety concerns if preventative measures are not taken, according to Cal State Long Beach’s Student Health Services Health Educator Heidi Burkey. Common bacteria that spread in reusable bags can lead to foodborne illnesses, vomiting and diarrhea.
“Salmonella and E. Coli can cause all kinds of illnesses and make people very sick,” Burkey said. “For somebody with a weakened immune system, it can be very severe and deadly.”
To prevent bacteria from contaminating the reusable bags, Burkey said she strongly recommends washing the bags frequently. There isn’t a number of times of how often one should wash a reusable bag because it depends on how often the bags are used.
Burkey said she recommends washing the cloth reusable bags in the laundry machine with detergent and warm water and drying them in the dryer. For plastic reusable bags, it is recommended to wash them in hot water with soap and air-dry.
Disposable plastic bags used for raw meat or poultry, however, should never be washed and reused. It is essential to throw these bags away after use, Burkey said.
According to Burkey, to avoid cross-contamination, it is a good idea to put meat or fish in plastic bags provided in the produce area of grocery stores. She said this can also be done for fresh produce. However, Burkey said that her ultimate recommendation is to have specific reusable bags for each category of food.
“Have specific bags for your produce, such as green and red for your meat and fish,” Burkey said.
It is important to not store reusable bags in a car on hot days because there is chance of bacteria growing faster in the heat, according to Burkey. The bags should be stored at home in a cool dry area, according to Burkey.
Burkey also said that reusable bags should not be used for anything besides groceries. She said gym clothes and books should not be placed in a reusable grocery bag.
Many students said they never wash their reusable bags.
“I don’t wash my bags, and I’m probably not going to start because it’s already hard enough to remember to bring them to the store,” sophomore music education major Emi Allen said. “However, that is a really good idea, and it’s something that I never thought about.”
Viviana Gonzalez, a junior criminal justice major, said she also never thought to clean her reusable bags.
“Now that I think about it, it would be a good idea to because of all the germs and bacteria passed on from produce and other items,” Gonzalez said.
For more information on how to be more aware of reusable bags and how to prevent the spread of bacteria, visit www.foodsafety.gov.
