Study: Reusable shopping bags may present health risk

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/06/shopping-bags-health-risk/1

Study: Reusable shopping bags may present health risk

Can going green put your health at risk? Reusable bags meant to replace plastic ones can carry germs that pose problems, a University of Arizona study finds.

The researchers tested 84 bags and found that over half were contaminated with bacteria, the Arizona Republic reports.

"A lot of people are not aware of the potential for the cross-contamination of food," Charles Gerba, co-author of the study, told the Republic.

Do the bags contain enough bacteria to make you sick? Gerba said sometimes there may be enough germs to cause physical ailments. He recommends washing the reusable bags after you use them for food such as raw meat since it can leak onto the fabric.