Health Food Store Bulk Bins may be Safety Hazard
Storage Containers of Bulk Foods May Host Germs, Insects, Stale Ends
Aug 10, 2009
Bulk foods are a great way to buy staples like oats, flour, sugar, nuts, and raisins cheap. They save not only on the price of packaging but also by help the environment with less waste thrown into landfill. But bulk food bins have a definite downside, with some opponents considering them very risky in terms of food safety and cleanliness.
There aren't any federal food safety regulations when it comes to the sanitation of bulk food bins, reports food review website Chow.com, and every store has different guidelines for cleaning and emptying the containers. This can be a problem for a number of reasons – not least of which are germs, like the viruses and bacteria spread from hand to hand... or from hand to scoop. Bulk food storage containers can also be home to moths and other bugs, along with dust and debris from old, stale food.
Dangers of Bulk Food Bins
When bulk food bins are not cleaned regularly, they can accumulate all kinds of problems:
- Many customers are less than careful when taking food from the bulk bins. Some will go as far as to use their hands directly on the food, depositing any viruses and bacteria on their hands inside the bins. Even people who use the scoops can be speading germs to the next person to pick up the same scoop. Some stores clean scoops daily; others don't clean them at all.
- Although things like flour and dried beans don't go bad very quickly, if bins are imperfectly sealed exposure to air can eventually allow them to go stale. Other products, like cereals, prepared cookies, chocolate chips or nuts can easily go rancid or spoil if they are left in bins for too long.
- Last but not least, insects can get inside bulk bins, sometimes leaving eggs and/or waste inside the bins. One of the most commonly reported problems with bulk bins involves moths moving into the bins or depositing their eggs and larvae in them.
How Often Are Bulk Bins Cleaned?
Although there are no federal standards within the U.S., there are guidelines for cleaning bulk bins which are set by state and city health departments. According to Chow.com reporter Roxanne Webber, San Francisco has no set regulations that govern the frequency of bulk bin cleaning, while bins in Chicago must be cleaned and sanitized every 12 hours according to the municipal health code.
Whole Foods, a national health food retailer, sets different standards for stores in each region – and a company-wide rule that bins must be emptied and cleaned at least once every 4 weeks. But whether or not these standards are being followed can depend on the individual store staff and how they prioritize the cleanliness of the bulk food bins.
How can you avoid bulk bin food that might be dangerous while taking advantage of the savings and quantity selection that bulk bins offer? First and foremost, ask your local retailers how often they clean their bins and scoops, and which products have a lot of turnover – meaning the bins will be refreshed often. If you can't get this information, or you're not sure it can be trusted, you're probably best to avoid the bulk food bins.
Many of the newer health food stores offer gravity-fed bins that prevent people from sticking their hands in the food, as well as forcing customers to take the older stuff first. This prevents the spread of germs and ensures that products with moderate turnover won't go bad in the bins – but doesn't protect against bugs and other problems if the bins aren't being cleaned frequently.
You can also assess the bins by eye:
- Do they look clean?
- Do the bins seal tight, keeping air and critters out?
- Is there "dust" or crumbs deposited at the bottom of the bins, indicating that they are not emptied or cleaned out often?
- Are the bins at child height, or do they seem safe from the fingers of curious (and less-than-clean) toddlers?
Bulk bins have many benefits, including less packaging and cheaper, often high-quality, food. But it's wise to inspect the bins before you buy, just to be on the safe side.
Sources
- Alsever, Jennifer, "Bulk up on natural dry grocery sales," Natural Grocery Buyer, Spring 2005.
- Webber, Roxanne, "Do Bulk Bins Ever Get Cleaned?" Chow.com, 23 July 2009.
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