E.coli found in ‘bags for life.’
Study shows that ‘bags for life’ could pose a threat to shoppers’ health.
Earlier this year a joint study by the University of Arizona and Limo Loma University found that although reusable shopping bags were better for the environment, they’re not better for shoppers’ health.
Random shoppers’ bags were tested in Tuscon, LA and San Francisco, where researchers found that the reusable grocery bags harbored harmful bacteria, including E.coli. 
Consumers were unaware of the risks, with a staggering 97% of shoppers admitting that they have never washed or bleached out their reusable bags between shopping trips.
Harmful bacteria on produce is usually killed when items are cooked before eating, but the nature of the reusable bags means that one week the bag may be used for meat and the next, fruit. Anybody who ingests the bacteria could suffer from unpleasant side effects, but young children, elderly people and pregnant women are most at risk.
E.coli was detected in half the bags sampled during the research.
E.coli is found in the intestines of humans and animals, and it is passed on through faeces. It can survive in the environment. It is usually transferred to humans by ingesting it through contaminated water or through contaminated food, such as uncooked meat.
The Government’s anti-waste watchdog, ‘Wrap’ estimates that there are hundreds of millions of bags for life in use in the UK. A spokesman said: “Recently there have been concerns in the press that there are health risks from reusing shopping bags in relation to poor hygiene. WRAP recommends that only clean bags in a good state of repair are used and that bags contaminated with food should be cleaned before reusing. Bags that are in poor state of repair should be recycled at carrier bag recycling points.”
