Study shows reusable shopping bags may pose health risk
Although great for the environment, a new study that tested reusable shopping bags found they may be making you sick. In a study by The Environment and Plastic Industry Council, 24 reusable bags were tested and found to contain varying counts of yeast, moulds and bacteria. Researchers say the potential health risks include food poisoning, bacterial boils, allergic reactions, triggering of asthma attacks, and ear infections. The bags don’t pose a risk, however, if they are washed regularly and dried well. The study was conducted on bags that were mostly less than a year old, and randomly selected in downtown Toronto. Researchers say 64 per cent of the bags tested were contaminated with some bacteria, while 30 per cent had elevated bacterial counts that were more than what is considered safe for drinking water. Forty per cent of the bags had yeast or mould, and some had “an unacceptable presence of coliforms.”