Lead in reusable grocery bags prompts call for federal inquiry

USAToday reports-

Lead found in some reusable grocery bags is raising concerns that the toxin could pose environmental or health concerns to consumers.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is asking for a federal investigation into the reusable bags following a series by The Tampa Tribune. The newspaper found lead in bags purchased at Winn-Dixie, Publix, Sweetbay, Walmart and Target.

Using reusable grocery bags was thought to be a great help in reducing the amount of plastic going into our landfills and the great Garbage Island out in the Pacific Ocean.


Reusable grocery bags make up 10% to 15% of the market, and could become as much of 25%. But other concerns have previously been raised about E. coli contamination in bags. For example, If you put a hunk of meat in one of these bags and it drips, contamination, is the bag is left unwashed, could lead to contamination onto unprotected produce.

Is lead so abundant in our production stream that we just cannot get away from it?

In June 2010, Dr Kristie McNealy reports, a notice of violation of California’s Proposition 65 made by the Environmental Law Foundations alleges that a number of popular fruit and juice products sold in the United States contain unacceptable levels of lead. The specific food categories tested included apple juice, grape juice, packaged pears and peaches (including baby food) and fruit cocktail.


The specific way that these products were contaminated is unknown. It’s possibly related to soil contamination caused by leaded fuel and lead arsenate, an insecticide used in fruit orchards in various parts of the world until 1955.

Though the use of lead paint was banned in 1978, it is estimated that nearly five out of seven homes in the U.S. still have lead based paint. Further, many common household products, even toys and jewelry, contain dangerous amounts of lead. In 2006, the CDC reported that 8 million pieces of jewelry were recalled due to dangerously high levels of lead. Cases of serious illness and even death have resulted from children swallowing small pieces of jewelry containing lead.

Lead is also getting into Urban Vegetable Gardens.

Hopefully, we have not already done too much damage to our planet and ourselves to recover from it. Keeping fingers crossed and trying not to do more damage is possibly the only left for us.

Tell us what you think. Have we poisoned ourselves beyond hope?