As England today joins the rest of the UK in charging for single use of carrier bags, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is reminding the public of how to avoid spreading bacteria through carrier bag re-use.
Raw meat and fish can contain germs that cause food poisoning, such as salmonella, E. coli and campylobacter. Packing raw meat and fish with ready-to-eat foods like, bread, salads, cooked meats and cheese can lead to the germs spreading, especially if there are any spillages or leaks from the raw meat or fish packaging.
Today, due to a new law, large shops in England join the rest of the UK – Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in adopting a 5p charge for single-use plastic carrier bags. On 20 October 2014, the Scottish Government introduced the charge to help cut the number of bags used across Scotland. With more consumers now reusing carrier bags, there are some important tips you should remember to protect your shopping.
When packing raw meat and ready-to-eat foods, the FSS recommend that consumers take additional precautions by using separate bags. If bags are re-usable, it is a good idea to keep one or two for use only with raw meat and raw fish, and keep these separate from ready-to-eat foods. Re-usable bags and single use carrier bags should always be disposed of if there has been any spillage of raw meat juices. Following these tips will help prevent these germs from spreading to ready-to-eat foods in carrier bags and keep you and your family safe.
http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2015/14490/fsa-tips-on-packing-food-safely-when-shopping