Not all shopping bags are suitable for transporting unpackaged food

There are shopping bags for sale at the cash registers of grocery stores, in which you can directly put unpackaged food (e.g. fruits, vegetables). There are also bags that do not meet the requirements set for food contact materials. These are often made from recycled material and may contain impurities.

In Finland, it has been agreed that non-contact material quality bags will in future be clearly marked that they are not suitable for unpackaged food. Grocery stores have been given a transition period to implement the markings. After the transition period, no later than spring 2025, paper and plastic shopping bags must bear, for example, the marking “This bag is not suitable for unpackaged food”. Currently, non-contact material quality bags do not have any markings.

Shopping bags that the store has ensured meet the requirements set for food contact materials no longer need to be labeled as suitable for contact with food.

With the new label, we want to help the consumer make the right choice.

Food items should be moved out of shopping bags at home. The bags are not intended for storing food.

A cloth bag is not recommended for transporting unpackaged food

There are currently no general criteria for fabrics, based on which it could be examined whether they are suitable for contact with unpackaged foodstuffs. Because of this, it is not possible to classify what kind of canvas bags would be suitable for the transport of unpackaged food. Basically, unpackaged food is not recommended to be transported in a canvas bag. It is good for the consumer to regularly wash the cloth bags used for transporting food.

All materials and accessories that are directly or indirectly in contact with food are called food contact materials. Ingredients must not be transferred from contact materials to the food in quantities that could endanger human health or cause inappropriate changes to the food's composition or sensory properties.

Environmental health in Etelä Häme serves the areas of Riihimäki, Janakkala, Hausjärvi, Lope, Tammela, Forssa, Jokiointen, Humppila and Ypäjä.

Read more on the food control website.