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Oct 17, 2008 6:17 am US/Central
Money Savers: Keeping Produce Fresh
Green Bags Promise Longevity, But Do They Deliver?
(CBS)
Are you tired of throwing money down the drain when your produce goes bad? Well there is a product out there that claims to give your fruits and vegetables a longer shelf life.
Whether it be blueberries, strawberries, peaches or peppers, the rising price of produce is enough to make shoppers go bananas!
"I won't buy something unless it's on sale, because I know it's not going to last," consumer Amanda Bruton said.
She would love to find a way to keep her fruits and veggies lasting longer. But will a plastic bag do the trick?
"Spoiled produce, not again, stop throwing away your money," Debbie Meyer says in her commercial for Green Bags.
The product: a green plastic bag,
Debbie Meyer Green Bags, with claims to absorb and remove gases that are released from fruits and vegetables extending up to 10 times the normal life of the food.
Bruton was skeptical, but agreed to put the bags to an unscientific test.
Following the directions, she placed her dry produce in the bags and stored the items as usual.
4 days into our test, "The bag definitely worked for the bananas because there is a big, big difference," she said.
Avocados did amazingly better in the bags than those left out.
"Very mushy and the ones in the bag are firm still," said Bruton.
But before you go running out to the store, the grapes that were stored in their original packaging were fine. Those placed in the Debbie Meyer bags had developed mold.
Strawberries left in the original container were fine, but those in the Green Bag became soft and slimy.
The directions say if moisture builds up, just wipe out the bag with a paper towel.
"I would say every single bag had moisture in them, I've just been drying them out each day," Bruton explained.
Marketers say consumers can reuse the bags up to 10 times.
Bruton, however, wonders how many people would.
"They're a pain to clean. I think most people will just chuck them."
After a full two weeks, peaches and peppers did better in the bags too, but with some items, she really couldn't notice a big difference.
When contacted about the recent test, the makers of Debbie Meyer Green Bags said they were baffled as to why the fruit deteriorated so quickly. They say their independent tests show that they do quite well.
A 20-bag pack retails for about $10 at many grocery or home stores. For those who chose to buy them online or through infomercials, watch out for the shipping costs.
Here's a break down of the Debbie Meyer Green Bags Tests:
Better In The Bags:
Avocados
Bananas
Peaches
Peppers
Worse In The Bags:
Grapes
Strawberries
Tied: Carrots
Cauliflower
Lettuce
Tomatoes
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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