Reusable containers for the transport packaging of food have been used around the world for generations. Billions of reusable packaging products are used each year in North America alone to safely transport fresh and nutritious foods from farms to consumers, and there has never been an identified or detected risk
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Study: Reusable Plastic Containers are Difficult to Clean
New research continues to demonstrate that typical cleaning doesn’t actually sanitize the reusable plastic containers (RPCs) used to transport fruits, vegetables, poultry and other foods. In a study publicized earlier this year, Steven Ricke, director of the University of Arkansas Center for Food Safety, and his team grew Salmonella,…
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New Food Safety Protocols Published for Reusable Grocery Containers
Reusable plastic containers used to transport fruits and vegetables have proliferated across the grocery industry in recent years despite recent warnings from university research studies suggesting the containers may harbor and spread harmful pathogens over time. Responding to critics, the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) has issued comprehensive, science-based protocols for…
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Study: Reusable Plastic Produce Containers Harbor Bacteria Even After Being Cleaned, Sanitized
Reusable plastic containers used to transport large amounts of fruits and vegetables to grocery stores can continue to harbor potentially harmful bacteria directly on their surfaces, even after undergoing industry-standard cleaning and sanitizing, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Arkansas and WBA Analytical Laboratories.
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Studies Find Reusable Produce Containers Often Contaminated
Reusable plastic containers used by farmers to ship fresh produce from farms to grocery stores have gained wide usage in the last decade, effectively replacing corrugated boxes with a more environmentally friendly alternative. But two studies — one in Canada and one in the U.S. — have found serious problems…
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No Incidence of Food Contamination From RPCs
(This open letter was sent Oct. 28, 2014, to all growers/shippers and retailers by Jerry Welcome, president of the Reusable Packaging Association, on behalf of the group’s members.) Providing a safe food supply chain is a top concern for the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) and our members. In fact, there…
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EPA Stops Sale of Food Containers Made With Nano Silver
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered Pathway Investment Corporation of Englewood, NJ, to stop selling plastic food containers made with nano silver because it’s an unregistered pesticide. The company claims that the nano silver – an active ingredient in Kinetic Go Green Premium Food Storage Containers, Kinetic Smartwist…
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Study: Canadian Produce Could be Shipped in Improperly Sanitized Containers
New research out of the University of Guelph in Ontario found that 64 percent of the containers used to ship fruit and vegetables in Canada are not sanitized well enough to prevent contamination. Keith Warriner, a professor of food science at the University of Guelph and program director of the…
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