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.

Reusable bags are often sold by retailers and used by consumers instead of plastic bags. They may be canvas or made of recycled plastic. In some areas, consumers are charged a fee if they use a plastic bag from a store.

The concern is that lead in bags could cause environmental problems in landfills or leach into food products that are kept in them.

“Federal agencies need to put a ban in place for reusable bags that have lead in them,” Schumer said in a statement. In a letter asking the Food and Drug Administration to open an investigation into the issue, he says, “Any situation where lead bags are coming into contact with the food being purchased by Americans needs to be immediately investigated and resolved.”

Retailers already are taking action. Publix Super Markets and Winn-Dixie are asking suppliers to make reusable bags with less lead, according to Schumer. Wegmans Food Market in September said it was halting sales of some bags. Wegmans is a 77-store chain with supermarkets in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland.

Reusable grocery bags make up 10% to 15% of the market, and could become as much of 25%, says Jack Horst, a grocery specialist for retail consulting specialist Kurt Salmon Associates in Atlanta.

He says concerns also have been raised about E. coli contamination in bags. “Lead may be the least of concerns,” Horst says. “If you put a hunk of meat in one of these bags and it drips, God knows what’s going on in your reusable bag.”

Consumer groups have been raising awareness for months about lead in grocery bags. On Sept. 10, Wegmans announced it would stop selling two designs because testing suggested they may have elevated lead levels. “Customers can continue to safely use both of these designs,” Jo Natale, director of media relations, said in a statement. “The eventual disposal of the bags is the only issue, from an environmental perspective.”

San Francisco bans large grocery stores from using non-recyclable and non-biodegradable plastic bags. Washington, D.C., has a 5-cent tax on plastic or paper bags at grocery stores. “The concern is both (health and environmental),” says Judy Braiman, president of the Empire State Consumer Project, a non-profit that tests products for toxins.

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(Source: USA Today)