d that Government plans to make supermarkets charge 5p for a plastic bag could result in a rise in food poisoning. However, a new UK ‘bag for life’ featuring anti-bacterial technology offers hope for safer shopping in future, says a leading food expert.The charge, which was announced last month in the Queen’s Speech, is designed to cut new bag use by up to 75 per cent and reduce environmental damage caused by plastic bag blight. International studies have shown that an increase in the use of “bags for life” can lead to a spike in illness rates as shoppers place new items in bags already used to store raw meat and vegetables.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that a ban on plastic bags in San Francisco increased deaths from food poisoning by over 50 per cent in a year. In a similar study in the UK, a selection of reusable bags was analysed by Glasgow Caledonian University’s School of Health and Life Sciences. Four of the nine bags fell into the “heavily contaminated” category.
Additive provider Addmaster however is in discussion with all the major supermarkets to introduce a new bag for life with an innovative antimicrobial technology designed to help reduce the problem of cross-contamination during grocery shopping – a reusable bag that you can use for life, safely.
Leading UK food safety expert and Dr. Lisa Ackerley comments: “Multi-use bags are a concern of many industry experts and this bag provides a solution to the problem. Being labelled “for raw meat only” raises awareness of having to keep raw meat and ready-to-eat foods separate. With Biomaster protection built into the bag there is the added bonus of reducing the likelihood of cross-contamination of dangerous bacteria such as campylobacter when purchasing and handling food".
Developed by Addmaster (UK) Ltd. and made exclusively by UK bag manufacturers Solent Group, the Biomaster anti-bacterial bag is treated with technology proven to inhibit the growth of bacteria that might transfer between your bag and your groceries.
When bacteria land on a Biomaster protected surface they cannot replicate and dies. The active agent in Biomaster is built into the bag during the manufacturing process, so the protection lasts for the useful lifetime of the bag.
