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.”

Do you love dining out, but don’t want to risk spending money on poor quality food?  Or perhaps you find it hard to choose between dishes at the restaurant?  Maybe you have a date this weekend and you need to pick a restaurant that will impress?

Then CampusFork will be your new best friend.

Today I’m telling you all about my new favourite website, CampusFork!

Campus What?

CampusFork.  It’s a photo search engine that lets you search through pictures of restaurant food.  You can browse through a library of photos of REAL dishes from restaurants.

You’ll be able to see what your meal will look like BEFORE you order! How cool is that?

You’ll be joining a food loving community:

You’ll get to meet hundreds of of food lovers who’re also passionate about delectable dishes, tasty treats and perfect puddings.  You’ll be able to make friends with food-sharing lovelies from all around the world!

Cooking inspiration!

PLUS CampusFork is GREAT for inspiration.  Not sure what to cook this weekend? Browse through the CampusFork pictures and become inspired.  Why don’t you recreate a menu for your dinner party, based on the top-rated dishes on the site?  That’s bound to create a menu that will impress your guests!

CampusFork is great for restaurant owners too!

If you own a restaurant, consider uploading your dishes to CampusFork.

You’ll be able to share your menu with thousands of users.  It’s a great, affordable marketing trick, which allows you to appeal to potential customers and entice them to dine in your establishment!

Tips for taking the best food photos:

• Consider hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of your dishes.  They’ll give your restaurant the ‘the edge’ over others on the site.
• If you can’t afford a professional, try to find a friend who is an amateur photographer with a good quality DSLR camera.  Offer your friend a free meal in exchange for some top pictures.
• Ask your best chef prepare the food and remember: presentation is key!
• Shoot your pictures in a light and airy room and remove any potentially distracting images from the background.
• Only use your best crockery, cutlery and tablewear.

It’s like hot or not…but for food!

Users are able to rate dishes with CampusFork’s star system, so one of your dishes could make the ‘popular’ list.  PLUS something from your menu may even end up FEATURED on the site’s homepage.  So prepare to stock up on ingredients and welcome your new customers!

Signing up made easy -

Since June, CampusFork has allowed users to sign in with Facebook ID.  How easy is that?  Just click the Facebook button, sign in and get going!

If you’re a restaurateur, you may wish to ensure your team are fully trained in food hygiene.  You can get a food hygiene certificate in as little as two hours by visiting our website: click here.

The results of a survey conducted by OnePoll and Youngpoll has discovered 26% of teenagers believe bacon rashers come from sheep! Even more incredibly, 29% believe oats grow in trees and 17% think bread contains eggs! These findings highlight a dire need to educate young people about all things relating to food; not just food hygiene, but the very basic facts about the food they eat on a daily basis!

In this, the buildup to the Farmhouse Breakfast Week awareness campaign, the National Farmers Union is particularly bemused by the whole thing. NFU president Peter Kendall said of the matter that “Everyone should know where primary foods like cereals are grown and the role they play as part of a healthy balanced diet. “It is critical that children and adults alike understand more about their food, and the role British farmers play in producing it.”

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Having said all of the above, we must not rule out that many of the 3000 young people involved in the survey may well have been joking… It’s a possibility. I, for one, certainly hope they were!